Spirited Away: Beyond the Human World
by Leowawa
Summary: Chihiro remembers her days in the Spirit World clearly. However, six years has passed. Will everything be the same when she returns to the place she once met Haku?
1. Into the Forest

_"I promise, we will meet again,"_ Haku had told her before she left the Spirit World. And here she was, still in the Human World. She was finally in high school, finishing her eleventh year. Chihiro just turned sixteen last week, celebrating it with her aunt and brother. Even though her mother and father called to wish her a happy birthday, it wasn't the same as being _with_ her. Her parents were off on a business trip, leaving her to care for her younger brother, Akira.

Snapping back to her senses, she realized the wooden sword was coming down to her head. Bringing her wooden sword up, she blocked it, finding a weak spot. Swiftly running behind the swordsman, she lightly kicked the back of his leg. He fell with a grunt, dropping his stick. Smiling in another victory, she took her mask off. Her friends and classmates applauded. "Excellent," their teacher complimented, helping the fallen boy up. "We'll work on stance next time." He nodded at Chihiro, who bowed to her opponent before leaving to the locker room. She wore her green sweater and gray shorts, stuffing her school uniform into her sports bag. Putting her katana bag over her shoulder, she closed her locker and walked over to the sinks.

As she washed her hands, she carefully looked at her appearance: ruffled brown curls that reached down to her elbows, and chocolate brown eyes that sparkled in the light. Smiling, she opened the door to find her two friends waiting. "You took your time," one of them frowned. She restlessly brushed her short orange hair with her fingers. Ignoring her remark, the other girl cheered, "Another win for Chihiro! As expected of the best student in the school!" The teenager smiled. "Thanks, Yui." The girls left the dojo, following the sidewalk.

The sun shined brightly, along with the wind cooling them down from the heat. Chihiro wiped the sweat from her forehead, relaxed that the mask was still not on her face. Spotting the blue sky and fluffy white clouds, it reminded her of the dragon form of Haku. Her friends tried to catch her attention, but she was in her own world until Kaori tapped her shoulder. "Huh? What?" she asked, clueless as to what they had said. She had realized the group of girls passed by many stores, admiring the books, food, and much more that satisfied their interests.

"I said, why don't we go to the bakery to celebrate?" Yui suggested, pointing at the bakery. "Geez, Chihiro, you do that way too much. Don't tell me you're thinking about that boy in class?" The other girl nodded in agreement. Remembering the confession before school ended, she shook her head, trying not to blush. "Of course not!" she protested. "Besides, it's not about that…" Chihiro and her friends reached the bakery, turning down their invitation. "Sorry guys, I have to pick up Akira from school. My aunt won't be coming home until midnight." Her friends sighed in disappointment. "Well, there's always next time, right Kaori?" The girl nodded. As she crossed the street, she waved to Yui and Kaori. "See you later!" she said, making it to the other side of the sidewalk.

Having time to think to herself, she thought of the spirit. His emerald green eyes made the ends of her hair spike up. Remembering the words he had spoken before she departed the other world, her eyes dimmed. _Will there be any hope in returning to you, Haku?_ She pondered, looking up at the sky. The sound of a bell alarmed her. Instinctively, she reached for her katana. Realizing it was the school bell, she sighed. Waiting by the entrance of her brother's school, she searched through the small faces of elementary children. Finally catching the sight of Akira, she waved to grab his attention. He was talking to his friends until he found his older sister. Waving to them and rushing towards Chihiro, he smiled. "I'm ready when you are," he said. She smiled, ruffling his brown hair. Walking away from the school, he told her about what his class had done. "I got the highest score in my class today," he finished. "That's great," Chihiro replied, only hearing half of what he had told her.

Spotting the tall trees of the nearby forest, Akira tugged on her sleeve. "What is it now?" she turned to him. His brown eyes shined in excitement. "Can we go today?" he begged. "Can we go to the forest? Please? Aunt Yuzuki won't be home until midnight!" Her brother gave her the puppy face, making her agree to his request. "Yes!" he cheered, running closer to the forest. "Hey, wait up!" Chihiro sighed, following after him. Passing many trees, they finally reached a small bridge. The river below it slowly rippled down to the lake ahead, sparkling bright blue from the sun. Akira dropped his bag the bridge, running towards the water.

"Don't fall into the water like last time," Chihiro warned with a smile. Akira flashed a grumpy look, and sat by the water. Noticing tiny fish swim by, he dipped his hand in, feeling the cold liquid touch his warm, small hand. "Sis, do you see the fish here?" he asked, looking around for more fish. Chihiro laughed, setting her sports bag beside his school bag. She kept her katana with her in case anything would happen to her sibling. "Yeah," she replied, sitting next to him. Birds chirped and water splashed down the small river, breaking the silence in the peaceful forest. Chihiro caught the sight of a small rabbit, which nibbled the grass until it heard a twig crack. It ran away back into the forest, its strong hind legs making its escape.

The teenager plucked a purple flower from the ground, admiring the delicate purple petals. Plucking them one by one, she heard her brother laugh with joy. "Hey, sis," Akira said, wiping his wet hands into the grass. "Can you tell me about him again?" She looked up from her flower. "About your friend," he explained. "From the Spirit World." Setting the flower down, she sighed, reminiscing about the memories she had with the young spirit. "Well," she started.


	2. Where We First Met

"And then we flew across the ocean," Chihiro smiled. After finishing most of her storytelling, she took a drink from her water bottle. "Here." The girl handed her brother the bottle. "Have some too." Remembering Haku's dragon form, she yearned for the warm smile Haku had once given her. As if feeling his soft dragon hair, she clung on to the grass. "Uh, sis? You know you're stroking the grass…" Akira blinked. She broke off from her daydream, realizing what he had told her was true. Blushing, she took her hand off of the grass. Akira laughed, saying, "You're so strange, sis." Chihiro stared at him, grumbling, "Says the one who's asking me about Haku all the time." Akira shrugged. "They're interesting stories-"

"They're not stories," Chihiro murmured. Realizing it had already turned dark, the full moon brightened the sky, just like the sun, giving off a mysterious feeling. The tiny stars decorating the dark sky sparkled like tiny diamonds floating in space. "Hold on," Chihiro said, reaching to her bag. "Let me grab my cellphone. There's not much light here…" As she rummaged through her bag, she heard rustles from behind. Turning around, she cautiously looked around. The shadows of trees only lurked, hiding whatever was hiding from the teenager's sight. "Get behind me Akira," she told her sibling, but heard nothing behind her. Turning around, she found a dark figure holding her brother in the air. Shining her cellphone on the creature, its red eyes gleamed right back at her. Black scales covered its long body, easily camouflaging it with the darkness. _Is it like Haku? _she thought, noticing how the spirit appeared from the water. Akira, who was held up by the creature's sharp teeth, could only stare at it with fright. "Akira!" she shouted, but the dragon swiftly dived into the river.

Before the dragon's image was lost before her sight, she jumped into the rushing waters of the river without hesitation. Catching the sight of the spirit's claw, she held on to it. Feeling her fingers wrap around its leg, the spirit attempted to kick her off. A rush of water struck at her face, but did not stop her from releasing her grip. She heard her brother cry for her, hoping the spirit had not harmed him. _Be strong, Akira!_ she thought, opening her eyes in the dark water. She flinched when the dragon was staring at her, with its sharp red eyes. It finally kicked her off, scratching her arm. Wincing, she sunk into the abyss, her vision of her crying brother blurring.

_What will happen to me?_ she pondered, relaxing in the silent water. _Will I drown? _The hopeless girl closed her eyes, allowing the current to pull her down, farther away from the surface. _Take care of Akira, will you?_ Chihiro opened her eyes, remembering her parent's promise she had made with them. Attempting to swim back up, she did not know what to do but knew she had to do something. _The police won't believe me_, she shook her head at the suggestion. _What if… What if I go back home, back to the bathhouse?_ She tried to imagine the surprised spirits, their human friend returned just so they could save her sibling. But the look of Haku, when he told her they would meet again. Her mind collided with the ideas, but she continued to swim up until she gasped for air. Cold air rushed towards her, chilling her wet body.

Without noticing her surroundings, she dragged herself onto the grass, coughing out the water. Rubbing her stinging eyes, she tried to look around. "It feels more brighter than earlier," she murmured, and opened her reviving sight. Recognizing where she was, she gasped. It was the open green field, slowly being filled up with rushing water. The water lapped against the grass, increasing as the night passed. "This is…" she said, looking around for more evidence to where she was. A bright boat was slowly coming to the shore, spirits forming to leave the water. Turning to the land, she found the small and unusual statues that stood guard at the steps, and in the flooding field. The town nearby had the same paper lanterns glowing red. Smoke rose to the sky, the aroma of food spreading around. Chihiro's eyes widened as she caught the sight of the largest building there was- the bathhouse. As she caught her breath, she panted, "I… can't believe…" Before she could jump for joy, she heard Akira's yelling behind her.

The spirit emerged from the water, flying towards the sky. Looking down, it found the determined look of the teenager. Relieved she had brought her katana along with her, she reached for it, unsheathing it. The silver blade shined in the moonlight, the blade heavier than Chihiro had remembered. _Well, at least it's useful_, she thought, waiting for the dragon to charge at her.


	3. Chihiro's Flames

_Wait for me, Akira!_ She firmly placed her feet into the grass, bracing for a hard collision. Chihiro had never fought a spirit with her katana, only her classmates. She could barely win against her teacher. However, the dragon had her brother as the captive. The dark spirit roared, flying down at her. With bravery lit in her eyes, she slashed at the spirit. Hearing a howl, she opened her eyes to catch a flash of a claw heading towards her face. Blocking it, she tripped from a rock and tumbled backwards. "Sis, watch out!" a terrified voice warned her. Looking up, the dragon had already summoned gallons of water into the air, glaring at her with red menacing eyes. Glancing away for a quick second, Chihiro noticed a group of spirits that left the boat were watching in curiosity. _Don't just stand there!_ she thought bitterly. Noticing the water harden, she realized they were forming into ice.

"Run!" Akira cried, fearing for his older sister's life. "Don't worry about me, just run!" Ignoring his pleading, she stood her ground. With a growl, the large icicles flew down at her. She managed to block the one that were aiming for her, but a few managed to pass her katana. She felt pain searing by her shoulder, arm and leg. Roaring in frustration, Chihiro blindly swung her sword. Feeling heat surround her, she looked to where she had slashed with her katana. Flames had erupted, aiming towards the spirit. "Akira!" she shouted, hoping the flames would not hurt him.

Suddenly realizing the flames had bursted from her katana, she looked down at the heavy sword. "What is going on?" she muttered, turning back to the dragon. Flying away, the fire only caught onto the dragon's leg. A cluster of arrows also flew towards the spirit, and pierced its body. Howling, it almost dropped the struggling boy. After a look at the weary teenager, it vanished back into the water. "Hey!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping the spirit would return. "I'm not finished with you-"

Before she managed to take a step forward, arrows and swords were pointed at her. "We haven't even started on you," a voice growled behind her. Turning around, she glared at the group of spirits whose faces were hidden underneath the cloaks and glowing lanterns. _What do these guys want?_ she growled in her head. She wanted to save Akira immediately, but not in the condition she was in. Sighing in anger, she sheathed her katana. "What do you spirits want?" she growled, clutching her arm wound. Without a reply, a spirit approached her with ropes. "Come with us."

Chihiro squirmed in her tied hands, irritated by the rough rope that was repeatedly tied around her wrists. As they passed through the town, she realized there were more spirits than she had seen six years ago. Little spirits peeked behind the bigger ones, murmuring about her.

Finally, they had reached the bridge to the bathhouse. Chihiro gazed at the torn banners and broken wood. But as always, the smoke kept on coming out of the pipes. _Kamajii, Lin, I hope you're still there_, she hoped. _And Haku…_ Her thoughts faded away as the rope pulled her to the bridge. Walking across, she noticed workers of the bathhouse and guests stare at her. "What's that smell?" someone sneered. "It could be a human! I wonder what it would taste like," another murmured. They both giggled. "Back to work!" a spirit ordered, shooing them away. Once again pulling her forward, she arrived at the entrance. Looking around, she quietly attempted to find the secret door Haku had led her to when she could not cross the bridge without being seen. "Hey, you! This way!" a spirit snapped.

As it tried to pull her in, she yanked it back with her strength. The spirit fell back, releasing the rope. _Now's my chance!_ She thought, running towards the small door. However, it did not seem like anyone was chasing her. Looking back, she was already at the door. _My speed was quicker than I usual am_, she frowned. _Is this connected to the fire from earlier?_ Before the spirits could find her, she closed the small door behind her, running into the garden. Slipping, she fell to the dirt face first. Rolling off, she felt the pain from her wounds. Wincing, her vision clouded for a second. Staring at her hands, they were covered in red.

"I have to treat them before they get worse," she muttered, trying to think of a way to escape. "And they took my katana too!" she grumbled. Tilting her head to the night sky, she knew one way to retrieve her sword. Yubaba. Using the special hair tie her spirit friends had made, she tied her long hair up. Testing her mysterious power, she jumped as high as she could. She managed to reach to the second floor, but fell into the bushes. Taking the twigs out of her air, she tried once again, running up the wall. Before she could fall back down, she gripped the railing of the third floor. Once again, she jumped to the sixth floor. It continued until she finally reached the top floor where Yubaba lived.

Quietly sneaking through the door, she glanced inside, looking if someone was there. A person sat in the chair beside the fireside, its back facing Chihiro. It gave her a hint that it was the witch because of the big, fluffy blue dress. Closing the door silently, she crept behind her. "What are you doing, human?" a voice questioned. Alarmed, she wondered if it was Yubaba or not. "Who are you?" Chihiro questioned back with a tone of hostility. The spirit stood up. From behind, it did look like Yubaba, apparel wise. However, her size had shrunk. She was as skinny as a stick, and when she turned to face the teenage girl, she had red eyes. Frowning, the spirit asked, "How did you get in here, human?"

"I should ask the same," she shot back. "What are you doing, taking Yubaba's place?" The old spirit seemed to look shocked at what she said. "What are you talking about? I am the owner of this bathhouse, the great Yubaba!" Chihiro had a second thought if the witch _had_ lost weight or changed her appearance, but shook it away. "Don't lie to me spirit, where is Yubaba?" she snarled.


	4. Dark Fear

"Human, you must be mistaken. You know nothing of the Spirit World," Yubaba disagreed, approaching the hostile Chihiro. "I must erase your memory-" She slapped the witch's hand away. "Even the real Yubaba knew my name," she growled. Instinctively, she reached for her katana, but remembered how it was taken away. "I wouldn't remember any human like you, you brat!" Yubaba hissed. She began to raise her hand until the door suddenly opened. Turning around, Yubaba arrived in the form of a bird, taking her cloak off in exhaustion. The tiny bird that was following her from behind closed the door and landed by the fireplace. Turning around, the witch stared at the two who had quarreled.

Raising an eyebrow, she snapped, "Who are you two? How did you get in here?" The fake Yubaba stepped up, revealing her face into the moonlight. "What are you chattering about, you old spirit? I'm Yubaba! The owner of this bathhouse-"

"Be quiet!" Yubaba retorted. Peeking into a room, she looked back. "You almost woke up the baby!" The fake Yubaba sighed. "What are you talking about? Leave my office-" Before she could finish her sentence, Yubaba cast a spell on her with a flick of her finger. The fake owner transformed into a bird, obediently flying into the cage beside Yubaba. Closing the cage door, she recognized someone was still standing. "You have ten seconds to tell me who you are, unless you want to be burned to ashes." Quietly, Chihiro limped into the area of the bright light Yubaba had just turned on. For a moment, the two stared at each other.

The bathhouse owner's brown eyes widened, her jaw nearly dropping at the sight of the human. "Sen?" she exclaimed. Frowning, she replied, "It's Chihiro." Yubaba stood up, walking around her to examine her. "You've changed, Sen," she commented. "It's Chihiro," the teenager repeated, her patience wearing away. "Whatever," Yubaba rolled her eyes. Sitting back down, she snapped her fingers. All of the lights flickered on, the room floating around to clean itself up. "It's been six years, huh?" the witch noticed. Chihiro could do nothing but nod.

As she examined her paperwork, she froze, placing it back down and looking at Chihiro once again. "How did you get here?" she questioned. "You finally notice," Chihiro growled. "Your friends decided to tie me up and bring me to that fake spirit!" Yubaba sighed. "I knew visiting the other village was a waste of my time," the owner mumbled. "Tell your little frog to give me back my katana!" Chihiro demanded. Silence finally took its turn. The fire cracked and flickered, the rustling of blankets and pillows in the next room only heard. Yubaba blinked. "Why are you in such a hurry Sen-"

"It's Chihiro!" she yelled. "I'm Chihiro, not Sen. Do you understand? Now, I want my katana back so I can bring my brother back from that dragon spirit before it can hurt him anymore-" The witch slammed her hand down to the desk. "What dragon spirit are you talking about?" she asked. Her big eyes were shining in fear, waiting for Chihiro to reply. "The only thing I could see was a long black body and red eyes-"

She was cut off when the witch took her by the shoulders, exclaiming, "Yes, it's _that_ one!" Chihiro had to push her away, feeling the sharp pain from her wounds. Noticing the wound staining her hands, Yubaba's eyes darkened. "Did the dark spirit hurt you?" _When did she ever worry about me?_ Chihiro thought, curious as to why the witch wondered. "Yeah…" the human said. Shaking her head, Yubaba walked back to her desk. "Oh, this isn't good…" she muttered to herself, loud enough for Chihiro to hear. "What?" she demanded. "What's not good?" Realizing the girl had heard, she hesitated. Waving her hand at the thought, Yubaba said, "Never mind about that, let's get you some medicine." Although the subject had passed, the witch's words were stuck in Chihiro's head. "Come, let's find your katana," the bathhouse owner sighed, pressing the button for the elevator. They walked in, descending into the misty, warm building below.

As usual, the bathhouse was filled with relaxed spirits, diving into the water and enjoying their food. Remembering Lin, she tried to spot the lady in pink, and realized every woman was dressed in pink. _I guess I'll have to find her later_, Chihiro thought, the elevator thudding to a stop. As the two walked past the spirit guests and workers, the spirits gave the human a curious look. "Who's that?" a spirit whispered. "Somehow, she smells familiar…" another murmured. They stared at Chihiro while they walked towards Chichiyaku. The spirit continued to talk to a guest until Yubaba cleared her throat. "Chichiyaku," she greeted. Startled, the spirit bowed. "Forgive me, I didn't notice you waiting!" he let out a small chuckle, hiding his embarrassment.

"Hm?" He glanced at Chihiro, who ignored the looks that many spirits gave her. "Who's this?" Chichiyaku asked. "Never mind that," Yubaba snapped. "Your spirits have taken her weapon. Can they return it?" Scratching his head, he thought for a moment. "I'll see to it, ma'am," he nodded. Stiffening, he sniffed the air, and then towards Chihiro. "You…" he realized. "You're a human!" Many of the workers gasped, especially the women. They held their sleeves to their noses, hoping the human stench would not get to them. "Quiet, you fools!" the owner snapped. "Although it has been six years, you don't even know the human that saved you from No-Face?"

Shock rippled through the crowd. "C-Chihiro!" Chichiyaku exclaimed. "It's been so long!" Feet pounded against the wooden floor, heading straight towards the crowd that surrounded Chihiro. Pushing her way through, a spirit panted, "Did someone say Chihiro?" Chihiro turned to her direction. Her eyes lit up in happiness, finally reuniting with her friend. _She hasn't aged a bit_, Chihiro thought. "Lin!" she smiled. Lin ran towards her and hugged as tight as she could, jumping in excitement. Chihiro wanted to hug her back, but winced at the pressure to her wounds. "Oops, sorry!" Lin squeaked, then examined her wounds. "We've got to get you treated!" she demanded. "Yubaba, where-"

Instead of replying, the witch motioned the two away. "Bring the katana to my office," she told Chichiyaku before leaving to the elevator. Following, Lin released Chihiro from her strong grip. "What's this about, Yubaba?" she questioned. "How did she get here, what happened to her?" The witch did not reply. Looking at her with concerned eyes, she started, "You know about the Dark Fear, correct?" Lin's face suddenly darkened, as if reminiscing of the so called 'Dark Fear'. Looking at both of them, the teenager asked, "What's the Dark Fear?" Both of them did not reply. They continued to stare at each other, silently communicating. "I'm afraid," Yubaba sighed. "You do not have much time, Sen."


	5. Lin's Past

Yubaba folded her hands, sitting in the fancy velvet chair. She listened to Lin's story with eyes filled with concern. As Lin wrapped the bandages around Chihiro's wounds, she spoke with a grave voice. "I was very little back then," she started. "We were playing out in the forest, splashing in the water. The current was moving unusually quicker, and Izumi was stranded on a rock." She finished the wrap, tightening with a small knot. "Sora tried swimming to her, but something cut him off." She stopped for a moment, her trembling hand dabbing Chihiro's arm in the air. The teenager looked up, tense as to what would happen next. Lin continued, "Something pulled him down, and we never saw him again. We were trying to look for him when something burst out of the water."

"We managed to catch Izumi, but two of us blacked out as the creature hit us. I ran with Izumi, screaming to the village. Behind us, there was a cry of a dragon. I pushed Izumi away after hearing it crash through the close trees." She turned to the bathhouse owner, her eyes dull in the crackling fire. "I woke here, my arm in a sling. I couldn't find any of my friends, and tried to return to my village. Yubaba allowed me to travel back with Haku, but I was too late." When she mentioned Haku, Chihiro's heart leaped. She had forgotten about the young spirit, hoping he was still around the bathhouse. "What happened?" the human asked with a tense and grieving tone. Lin gave out a sigh. She finished the last bandage, wiping her hands. "Every house was destroyed, puddles of water and ice covering the village. I saw a couple of my friends, and…" She tried to keep her voice steady.

She hid her face, murmuring, "Izumi… Sora…" Chihiro reached out to pat her, even though her bandaged arm was stiff and painful. "It wasn't your fault, Lin," Yubaba said with a patient tone. A moment of silence divided them until Chihiro finally asked, "So what does the Dark Fear want?" The witch walked towards the balcony, laying her hand against the cold clear door. Her sandy gray hair shined in the moonlight, replying, "It's not clear what it wants. However, there is a small piece of evidence we caught from witnesses." Turning around, she stared at Chihiro. "They always found the scent of humans," she said. The teenager slowly swallowed. She glanced at Lin, who was still grieving of her past. "But Akira and I always went to the river! Why show up now?" Chihiro frowned.

The woman shrugged. "We need to find out as time passes. For now, you must remain here at all costs." Snapping her fingers, the door opened. "There is a room open for you. Rest, and we will begin our training tomorrow." Before she left, Chihiro protested, "Wait, what training? And what about my aunt and my brother?" Yubaba turned to her. "We will worry about that later. Your family will have no recollection of your disappearance. You will return as if you'd never been gone." _If I ever return_, the girl thought. She silently nodded, leaving Lin and Yubaba. As soon as the door shut, Lin looked up from her hands. "You still haven't told her the time limit." The witch did not reply for a moment. Sighing, she answered, "When the time comes, she will have to know her unchangeable fate."

Walking through the quiet halls, Chihiro was lost in the maze of the level. The red carpet and decorative walls seemed endless until a creaking and thump were heard. Following the sound, it was a door hitting the wall, catching her attention. Wondering if it was the room Yubaba spoke of, she asked, "Is this my room?" The door stopped moving, and fully opened for her. The lights turned on, revealing a room.

Although it was small, it was enough for Chihiro. There was a pile of blankets on the ground, sitting on top of a mat for her to sleep on. The closet nearby was slightly opened, revealing colorful clothes. Chihiro softly chuckled, silently thanking Yubaba's hospitality. Her eyes lit up as she caught the sight of the moon. Opening the door to the balcony, she recognized the scent of salt and the sound of waves crashing to the shore. She smiled as the underwater train passed by. Chihiro stood up after relaxing and reuniting with the spirit world. As she took her sweater off, she realized once of her wraps were loose. _Better tell Lin about this_, she noted as she unwrapped it.

However, she frowned at the revealed wound. Dropping the stained bandages, she examined the strange markings that covered her wounds. "Her time limit," Yubaba said, meanwhile back at the office. "Is the curse that's on her arm." Chihiro carefully looked at the markings, wondering what it was, and how it got there.


	6. Curse of Time

The grass softly brushed against her bare legs, the wind blowing the light chestnut hair away from her face. She stared into the open blue sky, following the wandering white clouds. _Why… What am I doing here?_ Chihiro thought, enjoying the warm breeze. She realized she was in a simple white dress, clutching a white anemone flower. Feeling something move under her feet, she stepped back to inspect. Realizing there was nothing, she blinked in confusion. Suddenly, her feet began to sink, the ground giving way. She struggled to lift her legs out, but only made her fall deeper into the dirt. _Somebody…_ she pleaded, but her lips would not move. As her chin touched the ground, she began to lose feeling in her toes. Looking down, she noticed the anemone flower lying safely on the grass. Looking back up, there was an unknown object moving quickly through the sky. Squinting to catch a better look, she realized it was a silver and green spirit. Its shining sea green eyes stared back at Chihiro as it flew away. She tried to push her way out of the dirt, using her free hand to reach out to it. "Haku!" she yelled.

Once she disappeared in the darkness, she awoke, finding herself sweating in panic. Realizing the heavy covers was acting as the ground, she sighed, pushing the blanket away. As she wiped her forehead, she glanced at the sky. _Haku…_ she thought, brushing her bed hair from her eyes. _Where are you?_ Hearing footsteps close by, she turned to the door. Lin came in, holding a platter of food. "You alright, Chihiro?" she asked in a worried tone. "I heard you scream something just now." Shaking her head, she smiled in assurance. Lin frowned for a moment, wondering what the human was hiding from her. Instead of asking, she pushed the subject away and said with a delighted voice, "We have a nice breakfast today!" Chihiro nodded, eating as her friend chattered.

"Yubaba will probably have you work here as time passes," she went on, taking a bite of her bread. "Say, you might even be able to stay for the festival!" Chihiro's ears perked up, looking at her in interest. "Festival?" she asked with a mouthful of rice." Lin smiled excitedly. "Oh, it's so much fun! There are rides, food, games, and we get to wear yukatas! It lasts for two weeks, so there are so many surprises, you'll love it!" Lin giggled, muttering to herself on what to wear. Chihiro smiled, happy to see Lin back to herself. Yubaba suddenly burst in, demanding, "Let me see your wounds." As she rushed towards her, she lifted her bandaged arm to her. "I-I don't feel any pain," she said, hoping the markings on her arm were no danger to her life. The witch unraveled the bandages, freezing at the sight. Blinking in curiosity, Lin leaned over. Her eyes became wide, shocked at the wound. Frowning, she questioned, "What? What is it?" Yubaba took the last strands, revealing the markings to Chihiro.

All she could do was stare at it. _There are more markings than last night_, she noticed, observing the tiger like stripes surrounding her arm. "This is really bad," Lin squeaked, covering her mouth in horror. Chihiro herself tried not to panic. Holding her trembling hand, she asked Yubaba in a hopeful voice, "There's a way to stop it, right?" The bathhouse owner looked away, trying to think of a way. "Look at me," she chuckled to herself. "Helping a human…" Finally turning back towards the trembling human, she informed, "Go to my sister. See what she has to say about that curse." Her ears pounded at the word she had spoken. "Curse?" she swallowed. "It is said that the Dark Fear will overpower you if you were wounded by it," Lin croaked. "It only happened once, and we never heard of him again." Chihiro began to pace, hoping none of this was actually happening. Slapping her cheeks and pinching her arm, she shut her eyes tight. _Wake up, wake up, wake up!_ she pleaded to herself, biting her lip.

"Calm down, Chihiro," Yubaba snapped. "You're not going anywhere." Her words tried to assure her, but only lifted the lightest weight off of her chest. "When do I leave?" she demanded, hiding her fear. "As soon as possible-" Yubaba was cut off by the door slamming open. "Madam, he's here!" Aogaeru exclaimed, panting from running. "What?" she frowned. "He was supposed to arrive next week." The frog shook his head. "I believe he came for the festival," Aniyaku breathed. Muttering to herself, Yubaba twiddled her thumbs. "Great, just great…" Standing up, Chihiro nearly forgot about her painful wounds. Slightly limping, she insisted, "Then I'll have to leave now!" Lin lightly pushed her down, arguing, "You can't leave in your state!" Without replying, she looked down at the covers. Nodding to Aogaeru and Aniyaku, Yubaba ordered, "Continue the preparations for the festival." Bowing, the two spirits immediately left. Turning to the girl, the owner said, "You'll leave during the festival in disguise."

"He'll probably recognize my scent," Chihiro objected. Yubaba finally noticed what she meant, but looked as if it was the other way around. Realizing the two spirits were staring at her in disbelief, she demanded, "What?" Lin gave a loud sniff. "You… Don't smell like a human…" she faltered. Chihiro looked at Yubaba who nodded in agreement. "It's possibly the effects of the Dark Fear," Yubaba concluded. Hearing the busy spirits rush around underneath their level, the witch rushed out of the room. "Lin, prepare the yukata and mask for tomorrow," she assigned. "Chihiro, stay here, and try not to make noise while the inspector is here. Watch over her, Lin." The stressed witch left the room, closing the door behind her. Silence divided the two girls, before Chihiro had the chance to say something. Lin stood up, taking the covers and throwing them onto Chihiro. "Get some rest," she said, taking the platter. Peeking out of the covers, the teenager called out, "Lin?" The spirit stopped, turning around and waiting for her to speak. "What will happen to me?" Chihiro bravely queried. Lin sighed, her brown eyes darkening. "I don't know," she admitted, leaving Chihiro with her panicking thoughts.


	7. I'll Find You

Lin tightened the strap around Chihiro's waist, making a large ribbon. "There!" Lin smiled. "Look in the mirror. You look beautiful." Nodding quietly, Chihiro limped towards the large mirror. She slowly spun around, looking at her yukata. It had a black background with pale blue flowers decorating it. Her waist was tightened with the pale blue strap. "Thanks," Chihiro blinked, amazed at how she looked in a yukata. Lin too wore a yukata, the deep color of a rose, decorated with pink sakura petals. Handing her a cat mask, she muttered, "You come back alive, you hear me?" Lin briefly hugged her before walking down the steps. The teenager smiled, hoping she could keep her friend's promise. Putting her cat mask on, she followed the weasel masked Lin down to the festival. Luckily, she was not recognized, not knowing who the spirits were with their masks on. Pushing through the crowd, she felt her stomach tighten. Hoping her wound would not open again, she took her time walking through the crowd of spirits. Finally reaching the bridge, she recognized fireworks illuminating the dark night.

The restaurants were open, packed with hungry and excited spirits. Catching sight of Lin, she followed her. As they strolled through the street, Chihiro glanced at the market. Walking towards what looked like a jewelry sop, she examined the jewels. Catching sight of a bright silver bracelet, she thought, _Pretty_. She wanted to hold it, but realized she was in a hurry. "Chihiro," Lin muttered. "We have to leave, now." Nodding, she left the shop. _Maybe next time_, she promised. Reaching the edge of the festival, she turned to Lin. "I can find my way Lin. Thanks." Smiling, Lin watched as Chihiro went down the steps. As she walked alone in the field, she looked up, hearing spirits close by. Catching the sight of a ship, she panicked. The ship already landed, spirits pouring out. The inspector stood by the water, greeting the spirits. She tried to run back to the festival, once again pushing through the crowd.

However, spirits suddenly pushed against her, hitting her side. She jerked backwards, wincing at the pain. _I guess it hasn't healed after all_, she bitterly thought. Standing straight, she used her strength to pass the crowd. Something hit her back, pushing her forward. _I'm going to fall!_ She silently panicked, preparing for an impact. But the hit never arrived. Opening her eyes, she felt cloth touch her skin. Looking up, there was another spirit lying beside her. It wore a green dragon mask, matching its green hair. It had its hair tied into a small ponytail, wearing a forest green kimono. "Are you alright?" a deep voice asked. Immediately standing up, she tried to hide her pain. "Y-Yes, I'm fine," she replied hesitantly. Realizing the wound opened, she covered her side with her hand. "Thank you, for saving me." He shrugged. "No problem," he replied with a soft voice. "Be careful."

Nodding, Chihiro left, searching for the small gate in the bridge. The spirit lost her as she ran off, curious as to whom it was. _What an unusual spirit_, he pondered. "Master! Master Haku!" a spirit called out. Turning around, he looked down to find the frog spirit. Taking his mask off, it revealed the face of Haku. "What is it?" he questioned. "Yubaba would like to see you after tonight's festival," he informed, bowing before him. As he hopped away, Haku looked up at the night sky. "Something feels… Strange…" he murmured to himself, ignoring the distant giggles of female spirits. He sniffed the air, catching a faint smell of blood. Perhaps, a human?

Far from the festival, Chihiro crashed down the hill. _They must have dug out the dirt up there_, she groaned, glancing up at the high gate. Clutching her wound, she limped more than she did before. Taking her yukata off, she had her normal clothes on, along with the yukata without the obi. Feeling like it was a robe, she chuckled to herself, then felt another wave of pain. Walking towards the sea, she did not have time to wait for the train. Remembering her unusual power, she jumped. Instead, it was a regular jump, only opening her wounds. She cried in pain, but tried to keep her voice down. _Once more!_ She thought determinedly, jumping at her toes, her body forward. Suddenly, she felt the wind hit her face, her feet dragging along the surface of the water. _Am I… Flying?_ She landed in the water, but only touched the surface. _No… I'm walking on water!_ The new skill thrilled her, but she was not even close to Zeniba's home. "Just you wait, Akira!" Chihiro grunted with confidence. "I'll find you, no matter what! This curse won't stop me from…"

She stopped, remembering her curse. Pushing her sleeve up, she noticed two more marking appearing. "I'll have to be fast," she thought, quickly limping to the witch.


	8. Our Promise

"Hey sis," Akira asked, mixing the batter. The two siblings were alone in the house, their aunt busy with work. Chihiro thought of making chocolate chip cookies, hoping to surprise Aunt Yuzuki. "When do you think mom and dad will come back?" Chihiro stopped cutting the chocolate. Setting the knife down, she walked towards the sink, washing her hands. After a moment of thought, she tried not to make him disappointed. "I don't know," she finally admitted. Trying to keep his hopes up, she quickly assured, "Don't worry, they'll come soon. I'm sure of it." Akira smiled, nodding. "I bet Aunt Yuzuki will like these cookies," he boasted. His sister nodded in agreement. The phone suddenly rang during their baking. Picking the phone up, Chihiro asked, "Hello?"

Akira put the bowl down, wondering who she was talking to. All he could hear from the counter was gibberish from the speaker, and Chihiro repeatedly saying yes. Her expression suddenly changed into disappointment after the last few words. "Ok. No no, we're fine. We'll just make something. Alright. See you tomorrow. Bye." She quietly hung up the phone. "So," Akira was nervous to ask. "Who was it?" Chihiro sighed, returning to cutting the chocolate. "It was Aunt Yuzuki," she replied. "She has an extra shift, so she's staying overnight in the office." His face reacted just like hers, his excitement in enlightening their aunt disappearing. "That's… a shame…" he faltered. Noticing his sadness, she tried to smile for him. "Well, don't give up already! While she's gone, we can still work on that cake!"

He shrugged. "I guess," he said, mixing the batter. As Chihiro picked the bowl of cut chocolate and dumped it into the bowl, she suggested, "Do you want to know something?" Akira sniffed. "You talk in your sleep?" Chihiro blushed, immediately shaking her head. "N-No," she looked away from his sly eyes, hiding her embarrassment. "Not that… I meant something about my friend." Curious, he questioned, "That Haku guy?" Chihiro nodded. "It's been so many years ever since I left that place. Even if more years pass, I still won't forget about his promise to me." Akira listened, continuing to mix the chocolate into the sticky dough. "Like Aunt Yuzuki, he won't break our promise," she went on, gazing out at the sky. "He's a very trustworthy person." Her little brother nodded. _Will I ever find someone like that?_ he wondered. _Well, I already have sis…_ Clapping her hands together, Chihiro announced in a cheerful tone, "Well then, shall we move to shaping the cookies?" Akira smiled, declaring, "I call the dinosaur shape!"

Chihiro's eyes snapped open, lifting her head up. The scent of salt and flowers woke her, causing her to realize where she was. "Just a dream…" she muttered to herself. "Akira…" She imagined her brother, alone with the Dark Fear. Its sharp dark eyes glare at the frightened boy, who prayed for his sister to save him. Shaking the thought away, she became determined to find him in time.

Examining her wound, her sweater was starting to grow dark. Hoping it would not get any worse, she stumbled to stand up, leaning against the tree she was sleeping by. _How long was I out?_ she pondered. _How far did I even get?_ Looking around, she could only find trees and bushes. Above her, there were slight openings revealing the cloudy sky. Continuing her journey, she walked forward. _Where's that lamp dude?_ she wondered, hoping she could catch the sight of Zeniba's light. Bored of walking in silence, she began to think of the past events. She and Lin arrived in the festival, attempting to avoid the inspector. When Chihiro caught sight of the inspector, she freaked out, running back into the crowd. When she fell, someone mysteriously saved her from being run over by the spirits. It was strange to her. The person whom she talked to seemed familiar. _Who could it have been?_ His dragon mask suddenly reminded her of Haku. She suddenly remembered what she had said to Akira during their baking. _Even if more years pass, I still won't forget about his promise to me_. Her head lowered in wonder. _Does he still remember that promise? Will I ever meet him, after all of this?_ Everything seemed to become comfortable to her until she heard rustles from the nearby bushes. Reaching to her back, she gripped her katana, cautiously looking around. "Who's there?" she dared to ask. Nothing replied, except for chirping birds and hooting owls. She decided to lower her guard, continuing her journey.

Once she heard a growl, she swiftly turned around, raising her unsheathed sword. To block the attacker, she raised it sideways to her face, feeling the weight of it hit against it. Pushing back, the spirit was hurled back. Hearing a croak, she immediately dodged a dart that barely scratched her check. _A frog?_ she guessed, running away. "I command you to stop! In the name of Madam Yubaba!" it croaked. _Yubaba?_ She shouted back, "Why would Yubaba send someone who would attack me?" Instead of stopping, she continued to run from the approaching spirit.

Taking a quick glance, it was a large frog, triple the size of Aogaeru. "Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?" The frog kept on chasing her, shooting darts to slow her down. "You have no right to be in this territory, spirit!" it snapped. _I don't have time for this!_ Stopping, she turned to face the alarmed spirit. Raising her katana, she tried to focus her firepower into the blade. Feeling warmth creep up on her weapon, she swiftly cut down on the air. Flames burst from the attack, firing towards the surprised frog. It attempted to run away, its cloth slightly burned. With an unusual yelp, it hopped off. "Don't think I'll turn my back on you!" The frog's voice trailed away, along with its escape.

Panting, Chihiro became relieved of the spirit's disappearance. Checking her arm, she pulled her sleeve up. The two marks permanently grew dark, adding to the rest of the curse. Without wasting time, she ran off, hoping to find Zeniba's small cottage.

Meanwhile, Haku lay sleeping in his river, also reminiscing of the young spirit he had saved during the festival. Although her face was masked, he could still see her chocolate colored eyes. Floating in the water, he thought, _Who was she? She seems so familiar, yet…_ He heard something splash into his river. Approaching the unknown object, he continued to wonder, _Why was she hurt?_ A frog swam towards him, its eyes wide with fear. "Oh, it's just you," Haku sighed, easily floating back to where he was. Following him, the frog pleaded, "Please listen to me, Master Haku! I was patrolling the sea, just like you said! Last night, I found someone walking out of the territory, without permission!" Frowning, the dragon spirit pointed out, "And? My problem with him?" The frog stopped chattering. "Uh, it's a _her_." Noticing his glare, he bowed in apology. "Anyways, when she fought me, I recognized a curse on her arm. "What curse?" Haku asked with a careless tone.

The frog gulped. He squeaked, "The curse of the Dark Fear." Turning to him immediately, Haku demanded, "Where? Where was she going?" The frog blinked in surprise, answering, "Into the forest. Where Zeniba lives."


	9. Their Gifts

Rain poured down, causing Chihiro to slip wherever she stepped. _Will I… Will I make it?_ she thought, panting as she ran. Before the rain could get any worse, she wanted to reach Zeniba's house. However, it did not seem likely. Once more, she tripped, landing into the muddy path. Exhausted, she could barely lift her head. Feeling all of her energy drained, she began to close her eyes, hoping she could sleep. Before she managed to fall into a deep slumber, she heard squeaking bounces approach her. _Could that be…_ The squeaking stopped, along with the rain. Although she could hear it, the water would no longer hit her. Opening her eyes, she found the lamp, carrying an umbrella. It bowed politely at the girl. Recognizing Chihiro, it squeaked in surprise. Jumping up and down, she realized that it recognized her. "Hey," she weakly smiled. "Hey, Mr. Lamp."

The spirit bounced up and down, squeaking as if it spoke. "Follow you?" she mumbled. Positioning her hands to sit herself up, she could only move her fingers. Her vision began to blur, the small flame inside the lamp turning into a blurry red ball of light. "I'm sorry, just a moment. I want to… to sleep before I go with… you…" Chihiro could not help but fall into the darkness. She felt calm, relaxed. She felt something wooden underneath her feet. Tapping it, she realized it was a bridge. Looking up, she heard a distant echo of a passing train. "A train," she murmured, walking towards the edge.

She caught the roaring train appearing from the tunnel, disappearing back into another tunnel. _Somehow, this feels so familiar_, Chihiro wondered. Stepping off of the rail, she looked down. She wore a striped green shirt, pink shorts, and yellow shoes. _Could this be…?!_ Feeling the wind hit her cheek, she turned to her right. A young boy stared at her in disbelief, slowly approaching her. He was in a blue and white outfit, his green eyes shining in astonishment. "You shouldn't be here," he hissed. "What?" Chihiro said in bewilderment. _How am I… This is from 6 years ago!_ Chihiro backed away, startled as to how she had got there. "Chihiro… Chihiro!" a voice urged. The scene suddenly disappeared, returning back into darkness. She felt her shoulders being shaken by someone.

Finally opening her eyes, she found Zeniba tending to her. "You're awake," she said in relief. "My lamp says he found you out in the rain," the witch explained, pouring herself a cup of tea. "You've been out for a day. Care for some?" Chihiro sat up, rubbing her head. "Yes please." Her clothes were dry, perfectly clean and warm. Realizing her kimono was taken off, her curse was visible. Attempting to hide it, she buried it into her shirt, also using her hand to cover it. "Did you-"

"I examined your arm," Zeniba interrupted, still focused in making Chihiro's tea. "That's quite a nasty curse you've gotten." The teenager trembled. Letting go of her arm, she sighed. "Does it hurt?" Zeniba suddenly asked. "Huh? Oh, sometimes," she replied awkwardly. After hearing the kettle hiss, Zeniba took it and poured hot water. After adding other ingredients, she called, "No-Face, will you give this to Chihiro?" _No-Face?_ Chihiro thought, recognizing the black transparent spirit. "It's good to see you, No-Face," she smiled, thanking him for the tea. The spirit could only nod and reply in strange noises. As it floated away, it continued to work on something with the wheel and fabric. Chihiro tried to stand up, jumping off of the bed.

Her legs suddenly collapsed, causing her to easily fall to the ground. _Good thing I wasn't holding the tea_, she thought in relief. Taking her time standing up, she stumbled into a chair beside the table. Zeniba followed, sitting beside her. Taking a slice of cake, the witch hummed a little tune. _She's so different from Yubaba_. "So, why have you come?" Zeniba asked. "Is it because of the curse?" Chihiro nodded. "Well then, we don't have much time, do we?" Zeniba noticed. "Tell me about it from the beginning." Chihiro took a deep breath. "The Dark Fear took my brother, which led me here." As she went on about how she had gotten the curse and reunited with the bathhouse, Zeniba only replied with nods. Once she finished, Zeniba had finished her meal. "This is not good," she murmured. It was like Yubaba had said. "What am I supposed to do? Suffer while Akira is out there with the Dark Fear?"

"Of course not," Zeniba answered. Standing up, she looked around, trying to find something. While the human waited, she noticed No-Face touching up some cloth. "What's that?" she wondered. The spirit looked up at the curious Chihiro, and quickly finished sowing the cloth. He handed the cloth to her. Blinking in curiosity, she could only reply, "Thank you." When she unfolded it, she realized it was a cloak. There were delicate and pretty patterns of small pink petals at the bottom of the kimono and sleeves, the rest of it in pure red. "T-Thank you," Chihiro stammered in surprise. _It even has a pouch inside_, she smiled, admiring the work No-Face had done. _And there's a hood_.

Hearing Zeniba return, she held a long silver object. Putting it around Chihiro's neck, it was revealed to be a necklace. A small diamond was on the locket. "What is this?" she asked, staring at the diamond in wonder. "It's a kind of seal," the witch explained. "It will at least slow the process down." She became alarmed at her words. "Process?" she feared to ask. Zeniba turned back to the stove, pouring more tea for herself. "Those marks will continue to increase. Once it's finished," she stopped. "What? What will happen to me?" The witch set the kettle down quietly. Looking back at her, she finished, "You will become like the Dark Fear." The silence between them was broken when the startled masked spirit dropped a bundle of yarn.

"It's-It's alright, No-Face," Chihiro tried to assure. "Don't worry about it." Standing up, she walked towards the door. "Thank you, Zeniba," she thanked quietly. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" Zeniba asked in a worried tone. It seemed as though the witch was hesitant about answering Chihiro about becoming like the Dark Fear. "It's fine," Chihiro said, hiding her fright. "I have to return to the bathhouse. Thank you both." She opened the door, feeling the sun shine brightly at her face. She wore the kimono cloak No-Face had given her, racing back to the bathhouse hiding her face within the hood. _I need to find Akira_ now, she thought determinedly. _I hope he doesn't have the curse like me-_ Her balance was knocked away when something hit her side.

Gasping, she fell to the side. Luckily, she was able to float above the water. Sitting up to her knees and hands, she looked up to find the frog from two days ago. It frowned down at her, slowly approaching her. Chihiro tried to stand, but realized the spirit had also injected her with poison. And this time, he had brought a friend.


	10. Do Not Fear

Chihiro coughed, swallowing sea water. Glancing up, the frog hopped towards her, its red eyes intently staring at her. _What does he want now?_ she thought, standing up. "What are your orders, master?" the frog croaked. The cloaked spirit behind him only watched. "Hmph," he muttered. The frog simply bowed to his reply. Meanwhile, Chihiro struggled against the poison. Her vision blurred, her feet staggering to keep her balance. Holding her forehead, she needed to be quick with the fight against the two spirits. The frog spirit darted towards her, diving into the water as she dodged his attack. Cautious, she looked under the water, waiting for a splash. _Left, right, up, down, front… behind!_ Swiftly taking her katana out, she hit a soft and slippery object. Using her strength, she pushed the spirit off. Slamming into the water, the frog yelped in alarm.

Determined, Chihiro used her special ability. Taking a deep breath, she remembered what she had done last time to activate her fire. Concentrating, she swung the katana, slicing the air. At first, nothing appeared. The frog, who seemed nervous, sighed in relief. Laughing at Chihiro, he said, "Fool! You cannot-" In the air, flames appeared, crashing down on the spirit. Panicking, the frog dove into the water. Chihiro became irritated of the cowering frog. The cloaked spirit distracted her, causing her to stare at him in curiosity. He wore a blue kimono, similar to what No-Face had made for her.

Under his hood, she spotted emerald green eyes shine darkly at her. _What is it about him that makes me feel…_ Chihiro pondered. Suddenly, she was knocked off of her feet, splashing into the water. All she could see was darkness racing towards her. The teenager attempted to swim up for breath, but was being pulled down. Webbed fingers came to her vision, realizing it was the spirit. She tried to push him away, only leading her to swallow more water with the lack of air. Chihiro started to release her grip on the frog, sinking deeper into the water. _It can't end like this. I still need to save Akira!_ Chihiro thought. Trying to mover her legs, she remembered the poison. _I can't use my fire here_, Chihiro hopelessly thought. Closing her eyes, she waited for darkness to overtake her. Before she fell unconscious, a voice murmured, _Do not fear, human_.

Chihiro frowned. _Who is it?_ she asked. The quiet sea calmed her down, only leaving the sound of the stranger's voice in her head. _Give in to the darkness. Let your fear be your power_. Chihiro yearned to know the voice's identity, but decided to takes its hand. _I want to live. I _need_ to live!_ Taking the chance, she gave into the darkness, releasing her fear.

Above, the frog hopped back to its master. "What shall we do now, master?" The spirit silently turned away. Obediently, the frog hopped by his side. He reminisced of the conversation he had with the bathhouse owner. He walked into the bathhouse after bumping into the unusual girl. Reaching the top floor, he found Yubaba, who paced back and forth in her office. "What do you want, Yubaba?" he sighed. Yubaba looked up. "Ah, Haku, you're here," she realized. Sitting down, she rubbed her forehead. "What happened?" Haku narrowed his eyes. Without glancing at the dragon spirit, she mumbled, "The Dark Fear." Frowning, he demanded, "Any news of it?" The witch nodded. "There have been sightings of it these past few days. I want you to keep an eye out for it." Haku nodded. "Is that all?" he asked. Yubaba quietly nodded. "Leave. I need my rest." He walked towards the elevator. Turning around, he glanced at Yubaba. "Is there anything else you would like to say?" he said.

"No." Haku turned back, entering the open elevator. As he went down, he wondered what Yubaba was stressed about. She did not seem like she was worried about the Dark Fear. More like someone else. Back in the present, Haku stopped when he heard a wave of water explode behind him. As the water fell down like rain, a dark figure appeared in the center of the sea. His eyes widened, realizing what it was. Dark scales, shadow like hair, and the sharp red eyes that glared at him. With a roar, it sent the spirit hiding behind the dragon spirit. "M-M-Master Haku!" he trembled. "T-That's…?!" Haku nodded, prepared to fight. "So that was the form of the Dark Fear. A girl." The shadow dragon snarled, its roar creating ripples in the water.

Inside, Chihiro floated in the darkness. _Where… Where am I?_ she wondered, trying to look around. Suddenly, her feet began to sink into the dark pool of black water. _This is just like my dream!_ she panicked. As she squirmed to escape the water, the same voice murmured in her mind. _Give in to the darkness. There is no need to fear. Just relax… Everything will be fine now_. Easily under the Dark Fear's control, the human girl closed her eyes in a deep slumber.


	11. For Their Sake

Haku stumbled backwards, startled by the force of the Dark Fear. The shadow like dragon floated above the water, growling with an unfamiliar amused tone. He clenched his teeth, irritated by its taunting. "Master Haku!" the frog protested. It hopped towards him, prepared to assist him. Raising his hand, the spirit halted him. "Stay back!" he ordered. Facing back to the Dark Fear, he frowned. _What is it about this spirit?_ he wondered. _I've fought it a couple of times before, but…_ Out of the water appeared small koi. "Go ahead with Setsu. Warn Yubaba that the Dark Fear is nearby." The koi nodded, diving back into the water and swimming towards the anxious spirit. Turning back around, he felt a dark shadow cast over him. Alarmed, he immediately jumped back, barely dodging the Dark Fear's claw.

Every time he tried to land on the water, the dark dragon would find a way to distract him and attack. Irritated, Haku summoned a wave of water down on the dragon. Slowly, as if the Dark Fear had not even tried, opened its mouth at the whirlpool of water heading straight at it. A dark orb surrounded with spirals of fire appeared, blasting at the waterfall. A flash of light appeared as soon as the two objects hit each other. Haku dove into the water, dodging the debris that flew down. However, the dark spirit formed by his side, grabbing him with its tail. Its grip tightened around him, causing him to cough. He tried to squirm out of its strong grip, but could only watch himself sink in the water like Chihiro had.

Meanwhile, the human girl floated in the darkness, her hair freely rippling in the dark. She slowly opened her eyes, curious as to where she was. _Oh, that's right_, she realized. _I just…_ She reminisced of the moments that occurred before she gave in to the Dark Fear. As she tried to move her arms and legs, she felt as if something had tied her with large cobwebs. _Relax, human_, the same voice echoed through her head. _Everything is fine. Rest_- "Who do you think you are?" she suddenly demanded, resisting the cobweb like invisible chains. "Who are you?" The voice softly chuckled. _You do not know who you are dealing with, human._ "Try me," Chihiro hissed. _Interesting_, the voice replied. _Through all of my bodies I have controlled, you are a particularly interesting one_. "The others?" Chihiro frowned.

Her fists tightened, trying to hide her nervousness from the mysterious voice. Hearing another echoing chuckle, she pulled as hard as she could. "Let me go, Dark Fear! You don't know who you're dealing with-" _Oh, do I?_ the voice interjected. _Chihiro Ogino, you are the first human to have entered the Spirit World and return back to the human world. However, you had to sacrifice one thing_. The girl frowned. "What?" she demanded. _Your love for the river spirit_. Chihiro froze. Love? She could only recall the last moments with the lively spirit. "_I promise, we'll meet again_," she whispered to herself. Feeling hands lightly touch her shoulder, it whispered in her ear, _I can help you see him again. I can make you immortal. Immortal for you to live with him forever_.

The taunting and persuading words scrambled into her mind. _I… I can become immortal?_ she thought. When the Dark Fear had pointed out her love towards Haku, she felt afraid. Glancing down at her hands, they trembled in the darkness. _Human girl, listen to me. I can give you immortality. But right now, you must give me control of your body_- Chihiro stepped away from the figure, ripping the invisible off of her. "I don't need immortality!" she snapped. "I've only come here to save my brother! Now tell me, where is he?" The figure hidden in the darkness turned away. _We could have been a team, Chihiro_, the spirit sighed.

As Chihiro fought against the Dark Fear, Haku felt the grip of the spirit's tail loosen. Summoning a whirlpool of water, he shot himself out of the water. His kimono cloak floated up from a couple of feet away from him. Looking up, the dragon had followed him to the surface. Strangely, the dragon seemed to act unusually. It clawed at the surface of the water, snarling and roaring at the air. "What… What is happening?" he frowned. Ignoring his questions, he searched for something to finally defeat or at least chase the creature away. Looking around, he found something shining on the surface of the sea.

Running towards it, he picked it up right before it sunk into the abyss. Examining it, he realized it was heavier than it had seemed. As he gazed at his reflection on the blade, he looked up at the Dark Fear with a dark look. The dragon spirit slowly walked to it, dragging the katana behind him. "Dark Fear," he growled. "I must end this before the war occurs. For the fate of the Spirit World." Haku swiftly dashed towards the mysterious dragon, carrying the shining katana that he did not know was Chihiro's.


	12. Reunited

The Dark Fear glared at the dragon spirit, whose katana was stained with black liquid. The water underneath it darkened in black smoke. The dragon's red eyes closed until they were tiny slits. Charging swiftly at Haku, its claws aimed for his arm. He deflected it with a clang of the sword and its sharp claw. Backing away, Haku watched as the dragon flew a few feet away from him. _Why is it pausing?_ he frowned. It was as if the spirit was fighting itself. "Dark Fear," he muttered to himself. He clutched his arm, feeling it turning numb from pain. "What are you fighting?"

Chihiro began to feel her senses returning to her. _The humans I have possessed have not fought this hard as you_, the Dark Fear commented. _Why do you have hope?_ Frowning at his question, she snapped, "Why do I have _hope_? _I want to live_! I… I…" She looked down at her feet. "I have things I still need to do," she murmured to herself. "I want to finish school, get a job, marry someone, live with him until I grow old…" The Dark Fear quietly waited for her to finish. _You humans have useless dreams_, it sighed with boredom. She felt her body feel free of the cobwebs. The voice inside her head began to fade, just like the darkness surrounding her.

Finally, she returned to the Spirit World. However, she was not standing on the calm waters of the sea, not like when she had finished her first and last bathhouse job with the wealthy river spirit. She was pinned down against the water, her wrists tightly gripped with strong cold hands. She looked up, gazing into the sea emerald eyes of the river spirit she had loved. His startling gaze pierced her heart, causing her to widen her eyes in shock. _That's… that's Haku! Haku's right in front of me! Haku! _Her voice would not speak his name. Only utters came out of her throat. She happened to realize her hood covered her face. "What is your true identity, Dark Fear?" he growled.

_Dark Fear? W-What? I… I… I was…_ The human teenager suddenly remembered. During her conversation with the Dark Fear, Haku was fighting with the form of the Dark Fear using her body. Before he raised the katana to her forehead, she tried to spill his name out of her lips. "H… Ha… Hak-ku…" The blade froze in the air, hearing her stutter his name. Frowning, he lowered the katana, his other hand reaching towards her hood. Haku slowly revealed her face, his green eyes widening. Chihiro's battered gaze stared back at him, panting from being in the state of a dragon spirit. Haku stood up, kneeling beside her. "C-Chihiro," he gasped, holding her exhausted head up. "What… What are you doing here?"

The girl could only sigh in relief. Recognizing her short breaths and dark eyes, he found the area where Setsu had injected her with poison. He took a small ball of water, touching her palm. Purple liquids began to appear, taking out the poison. Chihiro felt his hand tremble under her head. Finally feeling her strength return to her, she weakly lifted her hand up to his face. Touching his cold, wet cheek, she could only murmur what was repeating in her mind. "Haku," she whispered. He pulled her up to his chest, laying her head on his shoulder.

As he stroked her hair and embraced her tightly, he silently thought how he was about to hurt the one he had loved. "I'm sorry, Chihiro," he apologized. He heard a softly chuckle. "Don't worry, Haku," she replied, tugging his kimono sleeve. "I'm just glad I got to see you before… before…" Narrowing his eyes, he let go of her and stared at her in confusion. "Before what?" he was afraid to ask. Hesitant, the girl touched her arm. _No… It couldn't be…?!_ He gently grabbed her arm, unraveling the bandages she wrapped around it. Examining her skin, he could only stare in disbelief. Black tiger stripe-like marks covered her arm. She could only look away from his horrified gaze. _Dark Fear!_ he glared at the sky. Chihiro buried her face into his chest, trying not to believe anything was real. "Are you alright?" he worriedly asked. "Are you in pain? Dizzy?"

The girl shook her head. She attempted to stand up, only to stumble back down. Haku caught her by the waist, wondering what caused her to fall. Noticing the red stain on her stomach, he asked, "Were you… Were you that girl at the festival?" Chihiro looked up at him in surprise. "How did you know?" Her voice was as sweet as honey, calming the river spirit but at the same time lighting his heart on fire. Her calm, soft eyes gazed into his, sparkling like stars in the light. "You had the same injury when I caught you falling down," he explained. "You klutz." The human softly laughed. "By the way it looks, it got worse," Haku narrowed his eyes. Carrying her in his arms, he said, "Let's get you back to the bathhouse." Chihiro did not complain, only to cuddle in Haku's strong arms and warmth of his chest. _I've missed this feeling_, she thought, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

Before the sun fully sunk into the water, Haku and Chihiro finally reached the top level of the bathhouse. When Yubaba and Lin discovered the state the girl was in, they squealed in fright. "Get the bandages," Yubaba ordered the spirit. As Lin raced to find the medicines, Yubaba examined Chihiro's arm. "It's gotten worse," she muttered. Noticing the gifts from Zeniba and No-Face, she frowned. "Where have you been, down at the festival?" she snapped angrily. The girl quietly shook her head. Touching the necklace, she explained, "They were from Zeniba and No-Face." The witch's eyes darkened. Snapping her fingers, three chairs floated towards them. "Sit," she ordered. "You have a lot to explain."


	13. His Vow

It was already past midnight, and Haku had finally finished explaining. Yubaba narrowed her eyes, staring into the crackling fire. "It already started, has it?" she murmured to herself. "Did anything else happen to her?" The young spirit shrugged. Glancing down at Chihiro, he asked, "Hey, did-" Feeling weight pressing against his shoulder, he found her dozing off. Hearing her slow and calm breathing, he blinked in curiosity.

"How can she sleep at a time like this?" he pondered, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. With a sigh, the witch waved her hand towards the open door. "That's enough for tonight. Rest." Nodding, Haku picked Chihiro up, leaving her room. Searching for her room, he caught the scent of the human girl: a sweet scent of flowers. Telepathically opening her door, he laid her in her futon. However, when he was about to leave, he still felt her hand clutching his sleeve. If he were to pull her off, she would awaken.

Sighing, he crossed his legs and sat beside her. Chihiro's creamy peach skin glowed in the moonlight, her eyelashes looking longer than he had noticed before. Mesmerized by her beauty, he soon began to drift into deep sleep.

_That's strange_, Chihiro thought. Like always, she was standing in a bright, peaceful field, feeling the warm breeze and grass tickling her bare feet. _Something's supposed to happen. Something bad… But what's different about this one?_ She looked around, searching for an clues. "Hello?" she called out. Only the chirping birds replied back to her. Frowning, her legs collapsed, causing her to fall into the grass. _What's supposed to happen?_ She repeated to herself, grabbing the grass with her frustrated hands.

"Calm down, Chihiro. There's nothing here for you to worry about," a voice behind her assured. Alarmed, she found her katana and pointed it at whoever was there. "Take it easy!" he exclaimed. The girl finally recognized him as Haku. "What are you doing here?" the girl narrowed her eyes. She lowered her sword, dropping it into the grass. Walking to the center of the flowery field, she felt Haku's strong hands touch her shoulders. Once she stopped, he leaned closely to her ear, he whispered, "Relax, Chihiro, I'm here with you." Frowning, she turned to face him.

"This is a dream, Haku!" Instead of being startled by her snappy tone, the dragon spirit smiled. "Wake up." Blinking in confusion, a tear ran down her cheek. It hit something that she was laying on. Confused, she finally opened her eyes. It was morning, the sunlight shining through the half closed door. The tear had fell down to her pillow, darkening the cloth. She looked up to find the calm, sleeping face of Haku.

Startled, she wanted to back away, but was locked in his arms and did not want to wake him. Trying to calm herself down, she tried to look away from his soft expression. However, the curious girl dared to catch a quick glance at him. His breathing was slow and steady, his skin flawless and his emerald eyes opening into the world. His eyes met with hers, who stared at him in astonishment. "Hey," he calmly murmured. "M-Morning," she squeaked, immediately sitting up.

She hid her red, hot face away from his gaze, trying to disguise the blush. Haku chuckled, sitting up beside her. "I haven't slept comfortably like this in a long time," he yawned, stretching his arms. Chihiro could only hear half of what he was saying, trying to picture herself sleeping in the spirit's arms. Feeling his hand rest on her shoulder, she nearly jumped. "Are you okay?" Haku asked in a slightly worried tone.

Facing him and waving her hand at him, she protested, "No, no, not at all! I-I was just thinking about something…" The dragon leaned closely to her. _W-What is he doing?_ She thought. In her mind, she had the urge to push him away. But her body would not move, only to feel the warmth of Haku move closer to her. "Chihiro," he murmured. Just before Chihiro could say anything, his lips touched her cheek. Holding back a squeak of alarm, she hoped he would not feel the intense heat from her blushing cheeks. After a few seconds, he pulled himself back to a sitting position. Noticing her furiously blush, he laughed.

"W-What's so funny?" she demanded with a squeaky voice. Hiding his pink cheeks, he shook his head. "It's nothing, Chihiro." Blinking, the human girl looked away, squirming around. She did not know what to say. "Um, hey, Haku," she struggled with her words. He turned to meet her eyes, wondering what she had on her mind. Immediately, words just stumbled out. "I, um, I missed you, uh, yeah." Haku could not help but laugh again. "I'm sorry! It's just that there's nothing to… to say…" Haku smiled. "There's nothing to say, Chihiro. All there is that we're together again."

His arm wrapped around her, squeezing her gently. Even though she was shaking and panicking with her words earlier, she suddenly felt safe and relaxed. Leaning against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah," she murmured. The two sat in her room, hearing the sea splash against the shore and the spirits flying through the wind.

Glancing at her bandaged arm, she lightly touched it, as if feeling the curse grow by the minute. Noticing her staring worriedly at her arm, he pulled her closer, causing them to be in a tighter embrace. "No matter what happens, I _will_ get the curse off of you," he vowed. Surprised by his sudden commitment, she smiled, wrapping her arms around his body as he did. "Yeah," she repeated again, burying her worries away and dozing off in the arms of her love.


	14. Preparation for the War

"Chihiro!" a voice snapped. Footsteps rushed towards her room, slamming the door open. Lin stood at the door, panting heavily. Glaring at the sleeping girl, she growled, "You may be back in the bathhouse, but you're still a worker! Tonight's the last day of the festival, and I don't want to miss it-" Her mouth froze as she realized who was next to Chihiro. Chihiro's head slept on Haku, who leaned against the balcony door.

Scratching her head speechlessly, Lin blinked. "What're you doing here?" The dragon spirit warmly smiled. "What does it look like?" Snorting, Lin raised her finger at him with a glare. "Don't you break her heart," Lin demanded, immediately leaving afterwards. Haku gave a sigh.

The sleeping girl opened one eye, seeing if Lin was still there. "Did she leave?" the human whispered. Haku patted her shoulder. "Yeah," Haku replied, standing up and stretching in the warm breeze. Doing the same, Chihiro sat up, yawning. "I better go downstairs before Lin comes back," she mumbled. She took her clothes from the closet and began to leave. But just before she took a step, Haku grabbed her wrist. Turning around, Chihiro blinked curiously. "Something the matter?" she asked.

Hesitantly, the spirit slowly released her. "It's nothing," he murmured. "I'll… I'll see you later." Confused, Chihiro silently nodded and left the room, hugging her kimono to her chest. Alone, Haku sat back down on her futon, brushing his hair from his eyes. "How can I tell her," he thought.

As she raced down the steps, she slipped her arms into the kimono. Fastening it with a blue datejime, she finally reached the back field. "Ah, Chihiro! You're here!" a voice exclaimed. Turning to the direction of the wind, a frog leaped towards her. "It's been a while, Aogaeru," she greeted. Respectfully nodding, he led her to a training site. "Because of the upcoming war, we have to train to prepare for any attack." _War?_ she frowned. Staring at the young faces, she questioned, "What war?"

"It seems Yubaba hasn't told you," he replied. Hopping away, Chihiro followed him. "A dark spirit created something called the Dark Fear using thousands of spirit energy for the use of future wars. Although it was his creation, the spirit disobeyed and destroyed his village. It went on to other villages, causing anger and no supplies. There were some of the surviving villagers who created it, but they did not stop the Dark Fear."

"Why not?" the girl asked. "The rumors say they thought it was a masterpiece and would lead them to peace." Chihiro narrowed her eyes. "That's not a masterpiece, it's more like a piece of destruction!" Aogaeru nodded in agreement. "We are intending to go to war with the villagers. The strongest will go and stop the Dark Fear."

"But aren't there few villagers surviving? And what about the other villages? Won't they help?" Chihiro wanted to ask him so many questions, but needed to be patient. The frog cleared his throat. "The villages are too frightened to join us. They've experienced the horrors of the dark spirit, knowing that the villagers have somehow controlled it. The survivors found other villages to join forces and take over the Spirit World."

The girl silently nodded. But what did it have to do with Akira? "Never mind about that," Aogaeru tried to change the subject. "How's your target practice?" Blinking, she realized they were standing beside a bow and arrow. "Try it," he offered. "It'll be better with one more spirit- I mean human," he corrected himself.

Smirking, Chihiro picked the bow up. _Remember target practice at school, Chihiro_, she told herself. _You got an A in that class right?_ Taking an arrow, she positioned herself. The frog mumbled to himself, noticing her position and aim. Aiming at the center of the target, she released her grip on the bow. The arrow flew, whizzing through the wind and hitting the red dot. The arrow pierced the target, barely touching the white.

Impressed, the frog clapped. "Good job!" he congratulated. The other spirits practicing stared at her in disbelief. The two left, roaming around the training site and trying out new things. Finally, Chihiro stopped at the katana arena. A human-looking spirit swiftly dodged the frogs' attacks. When it aimed for the middle, the spirit leaped in the air, stepping on its katana and flipping to the frog's backside. "That's Ryuu," Aogaeru introduced. "He's our best swordsman."

"Ryuu," she thought. "Doesn't that mean dragon?" The frog answered, "Yes, he's a dragon." Nodding, the girl continued to watch the match. He had bright brown hair, with tints of red in the sunlight. His sharp ruby eyes gleamed in excitement as he fought with the spirit.

_It's like he's playing with the spirit_, she thought. Noticing her watching him, Ryuu gave her a wink before grabbing the spirit's katana midair. Surprisingly, he flipped the spirit over using its katana, pinning him down with two blades pointing at it.

The surrounding spirits cheered, especially the girls standing beside the refreshments. "Ryuu, you've worked so hard! Ryuu won, like always! Who could win against him?" The human girl let out a chuckle. "Would you like to try?" the frog offered. Stepping up for the chance, Chihiro gripped her katana.

"Hey, Ryuu!" the frog called out. However, he was too busy flirting with eh spirits at the refreshments table. Fired up, Chihiro called out, "Hey Kaida!" Aogaeru's eyes widened, startled by Chihiro's call. "K-Kaida?!" he stuttered. "Little dragon?! Chihiro, you shouldn't call him-"

A cup slammed against the table. Turning around, Ryuu stared at the silent crowd. "Who's my next victim?" he slyly smiled. Chihiro smiled. "Victim?" she narrowed her eyes. Standing out from the crowd, she relaxed her hand on her katana. "I'm up for it, Kaida."


	15. Scent of a Spirit

Spirits surrounded the small circle, murmuring in anticipation. Ryuu winked at the girls before entering, taking his time. Meanwhile, Chihiro stood quietly, slightly unsheathing and sheathing her katana. Beside her, Aogaeru hopped around, muttering excitedly to himself. "How is this going to turn out?" she heard him mutter.

"Alrighty then! Have you been waiting, _sweetie_?" Ryuu smiled slyly. "It's about time, _Kaida_," she shot back. The girls behind him whispered to each other, glaring at the human. "That's brave of you, spirit," Ryuu said, unsheathing his katana. He slid one finger down the spotless blade, gazing at his reflection. _Spirit?_ Chihiro frowned. "Why don't we make a bet?" the dragon suggested.

"If I win, you will become mine," he offered. "And if I win?" she questioned. Ryuu swiftly lowered his blade, slicing through the air- literally. An unusual crack appeared where he cut down, slowly repairing itself back into air. As the girl stared curiously at the spot, he replied, "You'll earn your place here."

Without hesitation, Chihiro stepped to the side, escaping with a cut on her cheek. Although the audience did not see it, Ryuu had lunged forward, driving his katana straight towards Chihiro's face. Luckily, she dodged the attack. Jumping back, she was close to the line.

Smirking, Ryuu dashed towards her, raising his katana to cut up. Strangely, his blade was only a few feet away from her. Ready to take anything, Chihiro braced herself for what would appear. A gust of wind erupted from Ryuu's blade, heading towards Chihiro.

Making a somersault to her right, she did it a few times as the dragon spirit repeated his attack. Many were so absorbed in the fight that they did not notice Chihiro had not even unsheathed her katana. Using the end of her sword, she hit Ryuu's side, causing him to stumble backwards. "You've got some skill," he slightly panted. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Chihiro smiled.

She unexpectedly ran towards him, flipping over him. Using his shoulder for support, she pushed herself down, right behind him. Noticing she took his ribbon that was tied on his wrist, he grinned. "You're a sly one," he murmured.

Strangely, he stabbed his katana into the center of the circle, laying his palm on the top. Closing his eyes, the wind began to rise. Blowing at the girl's face, she narrowed her eyes. _So he's the spirit of the wind_, she thought. As she was about to make her move, she felt something strange wrap around her, like an invisible net.

Struggling to move her legs, she realized Ryuu used the wind to stop her from moving anywhere. Gritting her teeth, she looked up, watching as he pulled his blade out of the grass, and headed towards her.

His eyes shined, approaching Chihiro like a snake pouncing on a mouse. She slowly pushed through the wind, barely getting a grip on her katana. But when Ryuu finally arrived, he did not attack. Instead, he bent over to her ear, whispering, "You can give up now. I don't want to ruin a pretty face like yours."

"Don't take pity on me!" she hissed, finally breaking through the wind as soon as she unsheathed her blade. A burst of flames erupted, engulfing the arena. The crowd backed away, shocked and astounded by the sudden heat. Inside, Ryuu was surrounded by a sphere of wind, protecting himself from the intense heat. Glancing up, he caught the sight of Chihiro.

"You are truly amazing," Ryuu laughed. Looking up from her unsheathed katana, she smirked. Raising her katana, she swiftly cut through the barrier. He braced himself for the flickering flames to bury him. However, only the flames and wind disappeared. The grass around them was singed, leaving smoke crackling in the quiet air. After a few moments of surprise, the audience began to clap and cheer.

The girls gasped, quickly rushing to their lover's side. Halting them with a raise of his hand, he glanced back to let them know he was alright. Turning back, he found Chihiro lending him a hand. Chuckling softly, he took it, pulling himself up from the grass. As they both sheathed her swords, Ryuu congratulated her.

"I've never met a clever girl like you… um…" Ryuu spoke. "Chihiro," she introduced herself. "You fought well too, Ryuu." After realizing what she had said, his eyes widened with happiness. "You finally said my name, huh?" he cheerfully laughed. Chihiro handed him his red ribbon. "Here," Chihiro said. Ryuu took it, also taking her right hand. He wrapped it around her ring finger, making a small, delicate bow.

"There," Ryuu said. "It's like a ring!" Chihiro carefully examined it, realizing what he had meant when putting it on her ring finger. She opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted, "But still."

Ryuu pulled her towards him, quickly whispering, "I'm still going to have you." Chihiro blushed, pushing him away and looking at him with a flustered look. To him, her blush made her look cute. Turning away before he could say anything, she turned away, leaving the arena.

"I'll definitely make you mine," he murmured to himself. Dragged away by spirits, they pestered him on his first defeat. Looking back distractedly, he found Chihiro walking beside Aogaeru. Her warm smile gave him a shiver, making his heart pound loudly. He hoped that she too would be there tonight. Clearing his throat, he announced, "Shall we prepare for the festival?"

The frog spirit stared up at Chihiro, who seemed to be in doubt. "What's wrong?" he asked. Revealing an anxious look, she glanced up at the cloudless sky. "Ryuu called me a spirit," she began. "What did he mean by that?" Aogaeru frowned. Taking a careful sniff, he nodded in agreement with a strange look. "You're human, yet you smell strongly of a spirit. Not of other spirits, but your own scent as well."

Chihiro narrowed her eyes, wondering what caused that to occur. Glancing at her hidden curse, she thought of what other surprises it had in store for her.


	16. Final Festival Day

The night was young, moonlight brightly shining through Chihiro's room. She struggled to breathe as Lin tightened the green datejime around her waist.

"You really want to wear that nagajuban underneath it?" she mumbled, tying the back into a perfect ribbon. The girl nodded, staring at her bandaged arm. In case of emergencies, she needed to wear something more flexible to move around.

Chihiro could barely stand with her geta on, stumbling around noisily. "I'm not done with you missy," the weasel spirit grumbled, pulling her back into the chair. Taking out a box of makeup, the woman approached the hesitating Chihiro.

"W-Wait, Lin," she smiled weakly. "You-You're going to put that on yourself, right?" The woman snickered. "W-Wait… Wait! Lin!"

Haku stopped, wondering who had shouted. Continuing his walk to Chihiro's room, he reminisced of how they had reunited. Just as he was about to bring the katana down, her hood fell, revealing to be the human girl. He shivered at the thought of hurting the one he cherished.

Clenching his fists tighter, he finally reached her room. Opening the door, he looked up to find Chihiro fully dressed. He froze, goose bumps crawling up his skin. Swallowing slowly, he stared at the beautiful girl. She wore a green yukata, decorated with white and grey petals.

Her rosy cheeks illuminated under the moonlight, green eye shadow sparkling above her brown eyes. Her lips were cotton candy pink, shining like her chestnut hair. The black katana hung over her shoulder. "H-Haku!" she nervously exclaimed, prepared to cower behind Lin.

The spirit pushed her forward, causing her to stumble towards him. He caught her, feeling her soft skin. Chihiro blushed, glaring at the smiling Lin. "Go ahead," she insisted. "I'll catch up later."

Blinking, Haku led Chihiro out of the room and into the elevator. Coincidentally, Ryuu also headed towards the elevator. Turning around at the sound of their footsteps, his ruby red eyes shined as soon as he caught the sight of Chihiro. "Chihiro, you look amazing!" he exclaimed.

The grip Chihiro had on Haku's sleeve tightened. Without meeting his eyes, she grumbled, "Yeah, thanks." The elevator door opened, allowing the three to enter. "What were you doing here, Ryuu?" Haku questioned.

Chihiro stared at the two spirits, imagining a dark aura repelling each other. "Just delivering some papers to Zeniba," Ryuu replied, his voice also darkening with a cautious tone. Noticing the girl look at the two boys, the dragon spirit smiled.

Swiftly, he snatched her by the wrist, pulling her to him. "And what are you doing with my girl?" Haku's sea green eyes widened, giving a warning to Ryuu. The two spirits were battling each other. Lifting her chin up, she stared surprisingly into the eyes of the wind dragon. Just as they got inches closer, Haku made it just in time to pull her away. As soon as the doors opened to the first floor, the river spirit dragged her away from the amused spirit.

Recognizing how Haku became defensive, Chihiro smiled. Looking at her, he could only sigh in relief. "Let's go outside," he insisted, finally releasing her hand. However, the girl rushed over, nervously clutching his sleeve. As she shyly looked around, he could only chuckle.

Patting her head, he once again held her hand. "Why didn't you say so?" he murmured. They finally left the bathhouse, finding themselves n a bright, cheery festival. They roamed around, laughing as they played games, and tasted exotic foods.

As they passed a jewelery section, Chihiro's eyes glowed, admiring the shiny jewels. Catching her staring at the simple ocean blue ring, he called, "I'll take this." Alarmed, Chihiro shook her head, protesting, "No, no, it's alright-"

"It's fine," Haku smiled. "My gift of apology." Taking it after he paid the spirit, he took her right hand. A red ribbon was in the way. Chihiro quickly took it off, stuffing it into her pocket. "Sorry," she mumbled, remembering Ryuu's vow. "So, what do you mean by apology?"

As he slipped it on her ring finger, he answered, "It's been years since I told you we'd meet." Chihiro glanced up at him. "We're here now. That's all that matters. Right?"

Haku did not reply. Staring at the girl for a moment, he mumbled, "You do look beautiful tonight." Happiness spread over Chihiro's face. Standing closer to him caused her to freeze.

As he began to approach her, she slowly closed her eyes. Feeling his cheek press against hers, she tightened her grip on his sleeve. But before they had the chance, a scream arose from the crowd. Panicking, the spirits began to run back into the bathhouse and other places for shelter.

Cautious, Haku and Chihro turned to where the spirits were running from. "What's going on?" Haku demanded as one spirit passed by. "It's here!" it yelled. "The Dark Fear!" Alarmed, Chihiro drew her katana.

Ryuu and a few other brave spirits stood by to guard the bridge. "Be careful," the wind dragon warned Chihiro. With a smirk, Chihiro looked sraight forward. "You should too, Kaida."

Hearing a roar echo through the air, the spirits behind them became startled. After a moment, Aogaeru stuttered, "It seems like it was just a false alar-"

A dark figure appeared, flying directly through Haku and the others. Instead of backing away, the girl attempted to cut the fierce experiment. "Chihiro!" Haku yelled, trying to see if she was wounded.

The Dark Fear dragged her along with it for a few feet, digging into the ground. Finally pulling her sword out of the spirit, falling over the side of the bridge. Quickly, Haku flew to her, grabbing her arm just as she was about to be out of reach.

"I'm fine," Chihiro assured as he brought her back up. Prepared, Chihiro took her kimono off, tying the green datejime in her hair to protect the hair band Zeniba and the others had made for her.

The rain soon made it harder for them to see, drenching Chihiro's white nagajuban. "Ouch!" a spirit screamed. Examining the mysterious goo on its foot, Ryuu identified, "It's from the Dark Fear. If you touch it, it burns like acid. Get inside."

With a bow, the spirit limped across the bridge. However, the Dark Fear made it in time to fly by and grab the startled spirit. A gooey lump was hanging off the side of the dragon's neck, where Chihiro' had pierced him.

It finally fell onto the bridge, creating a thumping noise. Cautiously stepping towards it, the rain soon washed away the poison. Something was left from the remains. Something breathing. Something whimpering. Someone.

The unknown spirit glanced up, staring into the eyes of Chihiro. It's eyes widened, stumbling to stand. "S-Sis!" it suddenly cried, rushing towards her.


	17. Those Precious Words

**The wind was strong today. I think Ryuu's upset.**

The boy scrambled to the speechless Chihiro, who caught him just before he fell. Looking up, his eyes watered with tears. "Sis," he croaked, crying into her neck.

"A... Akira…" she stuttered. Slowly, she laid a hand on his back, feeling the gentle heartbeat of a human. "Akira," her lip trembled. Embracing him tightly, the two siblings finally reunited.

Footsteps approached from behind, a warm hand touching her drenched shoulder. "Now's not the time to celebrate. The Dark Fear is coming back." Nodding, Chihiro pulled Akira away.

"Bring him in and call Lin. Tell her he's my brother," the girl informed a spirit. Taking the frightened boy away, Chihiro stood up, feeling an unusual stinging in her hand. Glancing at her palm, the Dark Fear's wound had stained Chihiro's skin.

_If it touches you, it will burn like acid__, _Haku had once warned. "Then… it really does mean…" she murmured. Hearing another roar, it caused her to snap. Swiftly turning around, she swung her katana into the rain.

"What are you hitting? There's nothing there-" Ryuu stopped when finding the figure of a large dragon. But instead of creating red fire, the color had unusually changed. Black fire stunned the dragon, its shriek echoing through the village.

Haku stared at her in surprise, wondering what had activated her dark power. Just as the spirits were about to cheer in victory, the girl started to cringe. "Chihiro, what's wrong?" Ryuu demanded.

The girl softly made a low growling sound, her teeth suddenly sharpening. _What's going on? _she thought, trying to control her power. As the river spirit took a step closer, she raised her hand to stop him.

"D-Don't!" she gasped, gripping her stomach. "The Dark Fear's blood must've touched her," Haku growled. "Well, what does that mean, river spirit?" the wind spirit hissed.

Haku did not reply. Instead, he could only helplessly watch as Chihiro slowly transformed into the Dark Fear's puppet. Before she could hurt any of her friends, she ran off, preparing to jump off of the bridge.

"Get… Get everyone inside. I'll… I'll stall the Dark Fear-" Haku grabbed Chihiro's wrist before she jumped. Fear grew deep in the dragon's eyes, afraid that the girl would have her life in danger.

"I'm going with you," he determined. Just as she was about to protest, he silenced her with a look. The look he had made just as she was about to leave those years ago. Sadness. "Haku…" she murmured.

Haku glanced at Ryuu, slightly nodding to him as he was about to leap down into the water. As soon as they did, Haku held her in his arms, praying the both of them would make it out alive. Ryuu stared after them, watching as they passed through the fog.

"You better take care of her," the wind dragon whispered. As the two teenagers descended to the bottom, Haku lifted her head. The makeup was completely washed away, her eyes deep in exhaustion. However, her grip on him was tight and strong.

_If one of us doesn't make it out alive… _Haku thought as he pulled her close to his face. He landed on his feet, crushing the gravel under his shoes. Releasing Chihiro, he recognized her pale face. Speechless, she snapped back after hearing the Dark Fear's snarls.

Racing towards the sound, they finally caught sight of a dark shadow appearing in the fog. Bending the sea around them, Haku braced himself for an attack.

The dark spirit crashed through, water splashing harder than the rain. Raising her katana, Chihiro threw another force of black fire. This time, the large wave pushed it down, crashing into the water.

Balanced on the surface, Haku and Chihiro could only wait to see what happened next. Looking around, Chihiro's hands trembled. She was beginning to crouch, darting around like a wild spirit. What startled her more was the snarl that was heard from her mouth.

Unusual but helpful, it was heard just as the Dark Fear splashed out from the water. A dark orb was formed from its mouth, growing larger and larger. Its sharp eyes glared down at Chihiro, preparing to launch its own attack.

Noticing how the Dark Fear was staring at the girl, Haku immediately ran after her. As the dragon flung the powerful orb, Chihiro could only freeze where she was, frightfully looking at the incoming attack.

Cloth suddenly blocked her vision, arms pushing her into the water. Recognizing the blue cloth to be Haku's she tried to scream at him to move away. They already dove into the sea, water entering her mouth.

However, the blast still hit them, pushing them farther into the abyss. Feeling the painful blow even though they were in the water, Chihiro could feel her head pounding. Trying to save as much air as possible, her vision began to blur. Before the darkness could take over, she could only watch as bubbles floated up and Haku also falling into unconsciousness.

Chihiro POV

I was prepared to meet my fate. Just as I was about to leap down, he caught me. I didn't want to bring him with me, but I couldn't say no. He was already in despair, watching me slowly change into the Dark Fear.

If he was in any kind of danger, I'd have to sacrifice my life o keep him safe. Just as we were in the air, Haku suddenly murmured something to me. I couldn't hear much of it because of the whistling air, but I saw his lips moving.

Knowing what he had just told me, I could only stare at him. I… I really didn't expect this to be the time. Sure, I knew something bad was going to happen when fighting against the dark spirit, but…

He was so serious and… afraid. Haku… Haku really does care about me. Sure, I don't get to see him a lot, but I've been thinking about him everyday, every minute, every moment.

His hand touched the back of my head, wrapping my soaking hair around his fingers. He began to push me forward, right towards him. This was it. This was it. I'm glad we finally got through with our feelings. If… If… If we- or one of us didn't make it out alive, I'm glad we shared that kiss.

We hit the ground, his arms carrying me. He released me, allowing me to stand up. Although I wish he hadn't, because my legs just felt so weak, and frail. I wanted to say something to him before we left, but it seemed like now wasn't the right time.

Ignoring the pain that echoed through my body, I followed after Haku and the roars of the dark spirit. But… When we were hit by that dark power, I just couldn't see anything but water dragging me down. Reaching out, I tried to gather all of my strength.

Noticing green hair float somewhere above me, I immediately thought of Haku. Coughing out seawater, I just wanted to say those words back to him.

The words he had told me as we fell.

The words we were clueless about those years ago.

The words I will never forget.

The ones I will never give up on.

Three words.

I love you.


	18. I love

_Haku… Haku… Haku! Haku, wake up!_ The spirit slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in the bathhouse. Lin, Yubaba and the spirits crowded around him, anxiously waiting for him to awaken. "Look, he's alive!" Aogaeru cheered. He tried to lift his head up, only to feel himself painfully drifting back into unconsciousness. Kamajii gently pushed him back. "Take it easy, Haku," he warned.

Obedient, the teenager lowered his head back to the floor. "What happened?" he questioned. Hesitant faces glanced at each other uneasily. "W-We were hoping you would know," Aogaeru answered quietly. Rubbing his forehead, he pondered, _What happened?_ Remembering him falling into the water, he had pushed Chihiro away before the blast could take its full damage.

_Chihiro… Chihiro!_ "Where is Chihiro?" he demanded. Murmurs grew among the spirits, both fearful and anxious. Using her magic, Yubaba brought him back his strength. However, the painful wounds were still throbbing. "We'll talk in private," she snapped.

As soon as they arrived in her office, Haku found the girl lying beside the fireplace. She looked as if she were sleeping, but rustled around uncomfortably. Chains were wrapped tightly around her wrists, tied into the wall. "Chihiro…" he stuttered. Running to her, he anxiously held her closely. "What's with these chains?" Haku growled.

The witch patiently sat down, folding her hands on her desk. "I found you both at the sea," she began. "Chihiro was pulling you up from the water while controlling the Dark Fear's power in herself. She told me to bring you inside while she stayed back. I brought you down stairs and sealed her powers temporarily."

Haku frowned. "Temporarily?" he growled. The bathhouse owner nodded. "Why did this have to happen? She should've stayed in the human world! She's a _human_!" The woman looked up at him with shocked eyes. Standing up, her fists tightened until they turned white. "The moment she stepped into this world, she turned into a spirit. That experiment managed to turn her into a _monster_!"

The dragon spirit could not speak. _She didn't have to eat any spirit food… She was walking on water…_ His grip tightened. Feeling Chihiro squirm in his grasp, he found her mouth slowly moving. Leaning in to listen to what she was saying, he heard her squeak, "Haku… You're hurting my arm." Realizing he was squeezing her arm tightly, he finally released.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. Looking at the chains, his hope faded. Gently touching his cheek with her trembling hand, she tried to assure him. "Chihiro…" he murmured, his voice slightly cracking. The bathhouse owner sighed, walking towards the two. "If we must seal the curse, you must go to Daichi." Haku lifted his head.

"Daichi?" Yubaba explained, "Daichi is an ancient spirit who specializes in seals. He may be able to seal her curse. However, a price must be paid…" Haku was willing to do anything. "What is it?" he insisted. "Chihiro being a spirit is keeping her power from fully unleashing; If she were to return to a human, that power could destroy her."

"So she must stay a spirit?" he demanded. The witch nodded. "Unless he can prove otherwise." Glancing at the chains, they were slowly eaten away magically. "You have two days," she informed. "Go. It's the best way to save her." She released the chain from the wall, the end of the chain slowly disappearing into dust. Picking her up, Haku nodded to Yubaba.

"Be careful," the witch said as they flew away. Swiftly, Haku leapt into the night sky, jumping on the surface of the water. As ripples expanded from where he stepped, he continued to run to the direction of the illuminating star.

Earlier, Yubaba pointed out the star, causing his vision to make the star green to easily find it. "Follow that star, and it will lead you to Daichi," she explained. Feeling Chihiro's hands grip his sleeve again, he tried to run farther until nearly tripping over something. _Railroad tracks?_ He thought, backing away cautiously. _No, I would have noticed that earlier…_ Looking closely, a small speck of brown hair appeared from the water. Standing on the tracks was a little boy.

Although he had a few bandages on his arms and face, his eyes glittered with determination and strong will. "A…kira…" Chihiro mumbled. "What're you…" Without warning, Akira jumped forward, landing beside the two teens. However, the water would not support his weight, allowing him to fall into the deep water.

Haku managed to pick him up by the arm, using his power to have the ability to walk on water. The young boy stared at his feet in disbelief. "It's only temporary, kid," he noted. "Besides, what are you doing here? Go back to the bathhouse." Huffing and puffing, the stubborn boy shook his head. "I head what happened to sis from Ms. Lin. I want to help her."

The spirit was about to rehearse a spell until Chihiro gently touched his shoulder. "Just let him come along," she cringed in pain. You can send him back if he's too much." Akira nodded. "I promise!" Sighing, Haku felt Chihiro tighten her grip. "Hurry," Haku told Akira.

With the dragon's power, Akira caught up with the two, smiling and laughing. "This is so cool! Why can't humans do this?" The words humans caused the girl to squeeze her eyes shut and wrap her arms around Haku's neck.

"Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen," he murmured in her ear. Remembering their moment when Dark Fear had arrived, she wanted to reply to him. Instead, her mouth was frozen. Burying her face into his neck, she could barely hold back the tears. Wondering what had happened, the dragon caressed her long hair.

"I told you I would protect, right?" he whispered in her ear. Blinking, the tears flew freely in the air, trailing behind them. Akira curiously glanced at them, noticing how they appeared to look like tiny sparkling stars falling into the water. "Mhm," Chihiro mumbled with a high pitched tone. _I… I love…_


	19. A Mortal Needed

Fire crackled and glowed, warming the three travelers. Chihiro fell asleep, her head resting on Haku's shoulder. Akira was shivering beside him, trying to warm his hands.

Glancing at the teenagers, he frowned when he caught the spirit holding his sister's hand. "Haku, what's your relationship with my sister?" Surprised at the sudden question, he looked up at the night sky, determining his answer.

Startled, Akira blushed. Avoiding his eyes, the boy stammered, "How are you so straight forward about this?" Haku smiled warmly at the curious boy. "When you grow older you'll find the courage to."

"So, were you scared to admit it? You've confessed to my sis, haven't you?" Haku chuckled. "Easy with the questions. You'll find out soon enough when you find someone special. Go to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow."

The boy nodded, snuggling beside Haku. After a while, Akira had slid down, leaning against his arm. Chihiro opened one eye, seeing if the coast was clear. Glancing at the spirit, he was still awake.

Giving a sly smile, she squeezed his hand tighter. "You'll find out soon enough when you find someone special," she whispered.

Realizing she was still awake, he lightly blushed. "So you heard," he mumbled in embarrassment. "Yeah, so?" Chihiro sat up, pushing Haku on his side. Confused, he realized, she was pushing his head onto her lap.

"You should have a chance to rest too," she insisted. "You can't run forever, Haku." Giving a sigh, the young dragon could not protest. He remained on her lap while Akira fell to his sister's side.

The once human girl looked up at the night sky, gazing at the tiny stars that glittered in the dark. She too began to drift into sleep.

The sunlight shined over him, causing him to awaken. Rubbing his sea green eyes, he noticed nothing but grass was underneath him. Sitting up, only Akira laid sleeping beside him.

With the fire gone, so was Chihiro. "Chihiro?" he called out. Standing up, he began his search. "Akira, wake up," he shook the sleeping boy's shoulder. He woke up, his hair spiked up and his eyes drowsy.

"Let's go find your sister," he encouraged, picking him up to his feet. Calling out her name, they anxiously searched for the girl. "Where'd she go?" Haku muttered. _Could it have been the curse?_ "Hey, sis! She's over there?" Akira noticed, pointing to the direction.

Frowning, Haku swiftly brought the boy with him to the cliff. Chihiro stood in her kimono-human clothes, staring at the vast sea. "Oh, hey," the girl greeted. Realizing their glares, she tried to avoid their gaze.

"I-I just wanted to go ahead and scout for the direction we're supposed to go," she quietly squeaked. Haku sighed, patting her head.

Akira took note of this, thinking of what the teenager had told him last night. "Well, we're here now," the spirit sighed. "Any leads?"

Chihiro nodded. "I caught a strange scent, but it leads into the water. Akira finally realized where they were, glancing down at the crashing waves. Giving an alarmed squeal, he cowered behind the two.

"What's with you?" Haku frowned. "He's afraid of the water," Chihiro explained. "Ever since I nearly drowned in your river and he fell into the school pool, he always had this fear."

Kneeling beside Akira, Haku placed his hand on him. "I'm not going down there," he pouted, crossing his arms and planting himself where he was. Haku shrugged. "That's your decision. But don't you want to save Chihiro?"

Akira opened one eye at him. "I can't protect her on my own," he continued. "I guess we have no choice but to risk it, Chihiro. Let's go." Hesitating, the girl began to speak, but was cut off when picked her up.

"W-Wait a minute! You're not saying your really g-going down there?" Akira gulped. Glancing back, Haku nodded. "Anyways, you're not going to drown. You have me remember?" The boy swallowed.

"Take my hand," Haku encouraged. Taking it, he muttered a few words that neither siblings could interpret. For a moment, the boy glowed.

Giving a thumbs up, Haku held Chihiro tighter. Pushing her closely to his face, he whispered softly, "You ready?" Taking a deep breath while trying not to blush, she nodded.

While dragging a panicking Akira down the cliff, the three began their descent into the sea. As they heard Akira's excitement shouting in the air, Chihiro thought this would be the time. Touching his cheek, she moved his eyes towards her.

_Chihiro?_ he thought. She finally got close enough when they splashed into the water. Akira cringed in fear, curling himself into a ball. He was still clutching Haku's hand, tightening it as they sunk deeper.

The two teenagers finally released each other, noticing each other's blushing faces. As Chihiro looked away in embarrassment, Haku cleared his throat. Turning towards Akira, he insisted, "Open your eyes and breathe. There's nothing to worry."

"Yeah, you told me that when you pushed me off the cliff!" he snapped back. Blinking, he looked at his hands and touched his throat. "I… I can breathe! And see? And swim?" Chihiro rolled her eyes.

Swimming away, the three searched for a clue. "Can you smell anything, Haku?" Chihiro asked. He shook his head. "What about you, Akira-"

The little boy was nowhere to be seen. Alarmed, Chihiro looked around. "Akira?" she called out with an edge in her voice. "Sis! Haku! Come look at this!" a faint voice shouted out. Following the voice, they swam their way to Akira.

"Stop roaming around!" Chihiro snapped. "This is just like the time when we went to the mall-"

He pointed to the rock he was examining. Ancient carvings were engraved onto the rock, creating an ominous design. Haku swam closely, reading the markings. "It could be Daichi," he thought. Using his powers, he tried to open the rock. A massive force of water crashed into the rock.

"Nothing's working," Akira grumbled. Chihiro swam towards the teenager. Grabbing his hand, she smiled. "Let's do it together," she said determinedly. Nodding, they focused their attack on the ancient rock.

Blinking, Chihiro's little brother swam away, awaiting their combined attack. The force of water reappeared, this time with a flaming black fire surrounding it. The blast blew sand everywhere, bubbles blocking their view.

"Did it work?" the boy wondered. Watching as the smoke drifted away, the rock was still perfect as it was before. "That is one tough rock," he thought. Swimming towards it, Chihiro touched the rough surface.

_What does it say?_ she wondered, touching the deep lines. Curiously, she tried to use her power to translate the markings. _Nothing. It's just… lines… Wait…_ The lines suddenly began to glow, moving around to translate for her. "Chihiro?" Haku narrowed his eyes. "What do you see?"

The ancient markings finally translated for the girl. "Bestow the blood of a mortal."

**I'm thinking of making another story of Shugo Chara. Anyone interested?**


	20. The Rescuer

**Hey guys! Sorry for not posting quickly, I had a busy week :P Anyways, I finally published Shugo Chara: The Alternate Personality :D Thanks to all my reviewers and readers for being patient!**

"_The blood of a mortal_?" Chihiro echoed. Glancing at Akira, her knuckles turned white. "We're not doing this," Haku said, reading her mind. Although disappointment arose, they decided to swim back for the time being. Just as they were about to emerge from the seaweed, Haku dragged the two siblings back.

"What's wrong-" Haku hushed Akira before he could say any more. Taking a peek at the open water, long eel-like fish swam swiftly through the water, looking for prey. "Are they eels?" Akira thought. The dragon spirit shook his head.

"They can smell anything. Even if there is one prick of blood or movement from us, they will follow the scent." Chihiro brought her younger brother closer to her, fearful of the long spirits. "What do we do then?" the boy wondered.

_We need to find Daichi_, the girl thought. Observing the eel-like spirits, their fangs appeared from their small mouths, their scales shining silver-blue. A shiver ran down the back of her neck. Determined, she was not sure if her plan would work.

"I'm sorry, but Akira," she told the two boys. "You have to use some of your blood. Just one prick." Akira's shoulders tensed. Knowing it was for his sister's sake, he nodded determinedly.

Haku stared at her. "You can't do this, Chihiro. Once they smell him, they'll come within a second." The girl grabbed the sides of his head. Touching his forehead with his, she closed her eyes for a moment. _Don't worry_, she assured. He slowly touched her wrists, giving her a tight squeeze. Releasing him, she looked at his anxious sea green eyes.

_Protect him_, she insisted. Swimming away, he painfully released her arms. Quickly, Chihiro swam out of the seaweed. Just as Haku had mentioned, the eels immediately reacted. Slithering towards her, their fangs emerged. Taking a deep breath, she used her new powers to compete against the spirits. With her spirit senses active, she recognized the scent of Akira's blood.

Just as she had noticed, so did the eels. Uninterested in the girl, they retreated back to the seaweed where Haku and Akira were. "Hey!" she shouted at the spirits. "No! Come at me! Stop!"

Not knowing what to do, she swam furiously after them. _What can I do!_ she thought. Nearly slamming into a rock, she felt the pain race up her cursed arm. _Wait… My arm! The curse!_ Bracing herself, she unwrapped the bandages. Rubbing the cursed arm against the sharp rock, black blood flowed in the water.

As she thought, the eels stopped in their tracks. Turning around, they caught Chihiro and her bleeding arm. _Run… Run… Run!_ She panicked. Quickly swimming away at full speed, she heard their anticipated snarls and hisses of excitement.

Nervous, she tried to turn around. Just as she did, a strong, hard body crashed into her. _Chihiro!_ a voice echoed in her head. _We got the rock to open! Hurry, before the door closes!_ Acknowledging Haku's warning, she tried to escape the spirit's grasps. No matter how much she squirmed, the eel spirit's body tightened around her waist.

Digging her nails into its scales, she cried out in pain. _Daichi! Somebody!_ But as she did, it did not sound like a regular scream. Similar to the Dark Fear's, a dragon-like roar erupted through the sea. The spirits froze at the sound, the atmosphere becoming tense.

Feeling the water underneath them twisting and forming into a whirlpool, the spirits immediately escaped. However, Chihiro remained where she was, trying to take in breaths of air. The water sucked her in, bringing her into the deep sea.

Thinking she would hit the sea floor, she shut her eyes tight. Instead, cold air refreshed her face. With a thump, she felt the cold ground beneath her. Slowly opening her eyes, she heard the echoes of water drops.

Sitting up with a sore body, she glanced around. _Where am I?_ she pondered. Finally, she found movement by the shore. "Akira… Akira! Haku!" Their attention turned towards her. The two ran to her in relief. Feeling her younger brother's wet body jump on her, she laughed.

"You're alright!" he cheered. Haku kneeled beside the two. "Haku?" she blinked. "Are you okay? Nothing happened to you guys, right?"

He quietly looked at her wounded arm. Ripping a part of his sleeve, he tightly wrapped it around her cursed arm. "T-Thanks," she said nervously, not knowing whether he was angry or relieved. Catching her by surprise, he pulled her to him and embraced her, as if he was afraid of letting her go.

Akira wiggled his way out, leaving Chihiro in his arms. Using his powers, the water quickly dried off of Chihiro. "You're safe," he murmured. "That's all that I need to know." Smiling, she weakly raised her arms on his back. Turning her head to Akira, she asked, "How did you do?"

Giving her an accomplished and proud smile, he revealed a tiny scratch from his finger. "It didn't hurt that much," he replied. "I'm glad you're okay, sis." Nodding, she turned back to Haku. His eyes were closed, his expression calm and peaceful.

Relieved that he had finally taken a break, she brushed her lips against his cheek. Gently laying his head on her lap, the two siblings sat in silence.

"By the way, how did you get here?" Akira asked. Wondering the same as he did, she frowned. _How did I?_ Hearing a soft rumbling from the water, goose bumps crawled up her skin. Prepared to protect the two, she began to stand up. "Who is it?" she questioned with a dark tone.

As if the cave itself was talking to her, a deep voice answered, "You called to me, didn't you?" The center of the pool of water began to ripple, a figure emerging. A shadow was casted over the shore, revealing an ancient creature.


	21. The Exchange

**dragon 14(guest) Challenge accepted! Ha ha, thanks to all who want more from this story even though I'm not the best writer :P**

As the ancient creature rose from the water, all they could do was sit and watch. "I-Incredible," Akira stammered. "Stay back," Chihiro warned, her eyes still focused on the unknown spirit. _How can Haku sleep through this?_ she thought, wanting to punch him awake.

"Who are you?" she demanded over the sound of water crashing down. Instead of hearing a reply she wanted, an echoing chuckle answered. _Ogino Chihiro_, the same voice rumbled in her head. _Was it not you who called out to me?_

Blinking in realization, the girl tried to search for the spirit's face. "Daichi?" she called out. To her relief, the ancient spirit shrunk to her size, making it easier for her. Transforming into an image of a human, she marveled his looks.

His dark purple hair brushed the sides of his clear skin, his mysterious eyes gleaming at Chihiro. He wore a purple kimono tabard with no helmet. Floating above the water, he slowly took his time walking to the shore.

"You…" Chihiro thought. "You're so young…" The spirit smiled. "You're in the Spirit World, Chihiro. Much is possible." Finally on the shore, he was a few inches away from Chihiro. Smelling the salt from him, she suddenly felt power radiating from him.

"You've come a long way," Daichi began. He briefly looked back. Doing the same, she found Akira and Haku unconscious. "What happened?" she frowned, prepared to rush to their side.

Touching her shoulder, he assured her, "Don't worry. They're asleep. I just wanted to talk to you alone."

Still suspicious, she hesitantly walked with him. Walking back into the water, they easily swam through the sea. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he smiled.

Quietly nodding, she looked down. Coral reefs and fish roamed around, and strangely giving a respectful nod to the ancient spirit. "I've been living for thousands of years," Daichi spoke. "Many spirits had come to me, asking for something. It was always the same thing."

"What…" Chihiro was afraid to ask. "What did they ask for?" The spirit looked at her. "Life," he answered. "Yubaba told you about me, correct? Yes, I can create and break spells. But…"

Chihiro's eyes narrowed. "But?" _I'm afraid you know the answer, Chihiro_, he spoke through her mind.

"It comes with a price," the girl hesitated to say. The arm around her lightly squeezed her shoulder. "You're a special one," Daichi went on. "You aren't one of those spirits who want to live because they are afraid. You are doing it for a purpose. Not just for yourself. Not many spirits have proven that to me."

Chihiro listened, feeling herself finally relax. "So… Will you help me? Will you help remove this curse?" Daichi smiled. "Of course," he replied. "But something must be taken away from you."

She tried to think of something simple. Something she had right now. "What about my hair tie?" she suggested, showing the sparkling friendship hair tie that was around her wrist.

The spirit shook his head. "Not something like that. It must be something greater than that. It varies from spirits. It could be a life, memories, a strong item-"

"Life?" she frowned, trying not to panic. _There is no way I am going to give up on Haku or Akira_. "Choose wisely, my dear," Daichi warned. "I do not want you to walk in the wrong future. You are a young girl who has much promise."

With his words stuck in her head, she closed her eyes. Floating in the quiet and calm sea gave her more time to relax and think. _What can I give up…_ Chihiro pondered. Realizing what she needed to do, she opened her eyes.

"Have you thought of something?" Daichi asked. The girl turned to him. She knew he was trying to save her but protect her at the same time. He wanted her future to be happy. With a deep breath, she gazed into his eyes. "I want to-"

The sound of water dripping in the echoing cave made Haku awaken. Looking around, he found Akira dosing off beside him. Sitting up, he pushed the boy down to his lap. Chihiro had disappeared.

_Someone must have taken her_, he thought. _It must have been from that sleeping smoke. But what is that scent? Something ancient… Could it have been Daichi?_ Trying to stand up, he woke Akira.

With drowsy eyes, Akira stood up with wobbly legs. "W-What happened?" he mumbled. Ruffling his hair, Haku continued to search for Chihiro around the cave.

"We need to look for you sister," he determined. "How are you holding up?" Akira looked up at the exhausted dragon. "A bit hungry, but I'm fine. What about you?" Haku just realized how is condition was. He still had a wound from one of his old missions, his hair was soaked, his clothes ragged, and since Chihiro was gone, his hands were uncontrollably shaking.

With a deep breath, the spirit took a step forward. "I'm fine. Let's go and find Chihiro." Taking the boy's hand, they dove into the sea water. Meanwhile, Chihiro and Daichi stood in the sea in silence.

Staring into her brown eyes with his, he questioned in a serious tone, "Are you sure you want to exchange that?" Swallowing slowly, she nodded, afraid that her voice would not come out from her fear. Taking her hand, he began to retreat back to the cave. "Very well," he decided.

In front of the cave swam the long eel-like spirits. As they began to approach the two, they finally recognized the ancient spirit. They cowered away, hiding themselves in the kelp. Entering the cave, Chihiro found no one by the shore.

"Where did they go?" she narrowed her eyes. Daichi finally released her hand. "They are around the cave. My spirits will make sure they will not get lost or run into trouble. Come here." Obeying him, she followed him to the center of the cave.

Instead of being rock, the center was a perfect circle. The circle was filled in with blue shimmering water, giving an ominous glow. Step inside," Daichi insisted. With a slow and calm breath, she floated above the center. Facing Daichi, she took her bandages off.

Tiger-like stripe marks covered most of her arm now, reaching up to her shoulder and down to her fingers. "Daichi," she blurted out as he touched her skin. "Will it… Will it hurt?" The ancient spirit gave her an assuring smile. "I've been living for more than a thousand years, Chihiro," he assured. _Just relax. We will all be here when you come back_.

"Wait, what?" she panicked. "When I come back? What do you-"

Before she could finish, she sunk into the pool of water. Instead of glowing blue, the water was tainted with black. She struggled to breathe without the help of Daichi, her arms and legs flailing to reach the surface. But there was no light.

She tried to believe in Daichi, since she trusted him in doing this. _Just relax. We will all be here when you come back_. His words repeated in her head over and over, reassuring her. Closing her eyes as she had done before, she allowed herself to be sucked into the darkness.

Pushed back into the cave by the spirits, Haku and Akira found Daichi standing beside someone. "Daichi," Haku demanded, not caring to respectively bow towards the spirit. "Where is Chihiro? What have you done with her?"

Turning around, his calm, focused gaze stared through Haku. Turning back, he glanced at the person whose back faced the two boys. Long chestnut hair was tied into a decorative bun with red and orange sparkles glowing throughout it. A red kimono was worn over her shoulders, black decorations adding to the kimono. Barefoot, there was an ankle tattoo. The sign of Daichi.

Gripping the dragon's sleeve nervously, Akira whispered, "C-Chihiro?" The person slowly turned around, revealing the beautiful and pure face of his sister. Haku's eyes widened, once again stunned by her appearance. "Chihiro…" he murmured.

"How do you feel, Chihiro?" Daichi asked. Glancing at her hands, she checked for each body part. "I feel fine," she finally replied. Examining her cursed arm, the marks were only moved down from her wrist to her fingertips. "I'm sorry, I cannot remove that mark," Daichi apologized. She shook her head. "It will remind me," she spoke. _Remind her of what?_ Haku pondered.

As tears began to flow down her brother's cheeks, he quickly raced towards her, leaping into her arms. Catching him, she heard him sob silently into her red kimono.

Haku remained where he was, trying to figure out what had changed in the girl. _H-Her scent_, he thought. Daichi looked at him, as if the answer was all there. Turning back to Chihiro, he found her staring at him. Was it sorrow? Excitement? Surprisingly, she raised her arms up to him.

"Haku," she smiled warmly. "It's me. Chihiro." Hesitantly, he took a few steps forward. As he made it midway, he began to quicken his pace. _She's… She's just like me!_ he thought, his mind and heart racing. _We… We can be together! Chihiro!_

Finally, he met her arms. Grabbing her tightly, he embraced her as tight as he could. Akira could only squirm and squeak his way out from the two. "That's love for you," Daichi chuckled, happy that Chihiro had decided what to exchange.

"_Daichi," Chihiro answered. "I want to exchange removing this curse with my human life." Surprised by her deal, he blinked. "You know that you will not be able to return to the human world, Chihiro. Without your friends, your family, your brother…" Sorrow shadowed her once bright eyes. "I know," she replied. "But it's the best for me and everyone else."_

_Without protest, the ancient spirit nodded. "Very well." He took her hand, gently pulling her back into the cave. _I've been living so long_, he thought. _And you were the only one to give me something no one else had given. A wise but costly choice, young human. You may be the one who saves the Human and Spirit World.


	22. Roar of Battle

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"Chihiro, try to test your senses. Since you are a new spirit, you should be able to use a great amount of power," the ancient spirit suggested. Nodding, the girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Traveling through the sea and sky, she heard dozens of voices and sounds.

_Attack the Sock Clan! Sock Clan? I thought we were playing tag! So what are you going to do today? My tummy hurts, mommy! Aogaeru, get over here! We need some help! Yubaba, we need reinforcements on the south!_ "I can hear the spirits in the bathhouse," she listened.

"What are they saying?" Haku asked. She tried to focus on the bathhouse, hearing every footstep and weapons clicking against each other. "They're preparing for the war," she answered. "Yubaba is leading everyone to the south."

The atmosphere grew quiet. Akira, who was clueless about everything, tugged on Chihiro's sleeve. "What's going on?" he demanded. Daichi kneeled beside him. "Human child, you mustn't worry." Glancing up at his sister, he spoke through her mind again.

_Are you planning on explaining to your sibling?_ With a hesitant look, Chihiro did not reply. "Well then, we should get going now," the ancient spirit stood up. Surprised, Haku followed him to the shore.

"Wait, you mean you're coming with us?" The spirit smiled. "It's not like I'm imprisoned in this sea," he chuckled. "I bet you could use an extra hand, right?" The dragon nodded. "Akira, hold my hand," Chihiro urged her brother.

When Akira looked at his sister, it seemed like something was troubling him. _I'll tell him as soon as I can_, she told herself. _Alone. No interruptions_. Sinking into the water, they swiftly swam back to the bathhouse.

While Chihiro and her brother were behind the two spirits, Haku spent his time talking to Daichi. "What was her exchange?" he suddenly asked, knowing what his answer was. The ancient spirit glanced at him. "She gave her human life."

Although the dragon felt happy about her becoming a spirit, there was something in his heart that made him feel doubt. "What is troubling you?" Daichi questioned, easily reading Haku's feelings. The spirit let out a sigh.

They sped through coral reefs and spirits, respectively bowing to Daichi as the group passed. "I don't know if Chihiro wants to spend eternity here in the Spirit World," Haku admitted. "She would have to leave her family, her human life, and Akira…"

"I asked the same," Daichi agreed. "But there was something in her eyes that made her so confident and sure about her deal. Besides, it's better than sacrificing another life."

"Hey, sis," Akira sullenly spoke. His grip tightened around Chihiro's hand. Noticing the anxious look of her brother, she turned to him. "What's wrong?" she blinked. At first, the boy did not reply immediately. He could only squirm and hesitate. "Why couldn't you have exchanged something other than your life?"

Frowning, the girl gave a light chuckle. "What do you mean? I'm right here, Akira. Nothing happened-"

"You're not there anymore," he interjected. "The sister that I had is gone now. You're just… You're just a spirit now. Lord Daichi took my sister and replaced it with a spirit." Shocked by his accusation, she stopped him for a moment. "You go on ahead!" Chihiro called to the two spirits. "We'll be right behind you!"

As they swam away, she leaned closer to Akira. He stiffened as she wrapped her arms around him. "Do you feel it, Akira?" she murmured. Confused, he did not know what to feel. "Do you feel my heartbeat?" she finally asked.

Squeezing him tightly, he soon felt the beating of her heart. "Yeah, so?" he narrowed his eyes, wondering what point she was trying to make. "I still have a heart. I'm still your sister, Akira. Even though my human life was replaced with a spirit's, I'm still your sister, right?"

The boy wanted to push her away, but the warmth calmed him down. He felt his eyes water, dripping down his cheeks. "I still have a heart. I still have my warmth. And I still have you." Akira sniffed, trying to act mature. Releasing him, she found him wiping his tears. "You're still human too," Chihiro laughed. "You can cry."

The hand he was holding was soft and warm. "Let's… Let's go back, sis. We don't have time to talk now. When this is all over, we can continue this later," he hiccupped.

Impressed by how he quickly recovered, she nodded with a smile. Holding his hand tightly, she swiftly leaped through the sea.

"Master Yubaba! Master Yubaba!" a spirit called out. Dozens of spirits clashed in the battlefield, hitting as hard as they could and retreating as quickly as they could. The witch turned around, casting a spell on the charging army.

"What is it?" she demanded, turning back to the sea unicorn. "There are reports of another wave arriving, this time with the _Dark Fear_!" Annoyance angered the bathhouse owner. "Go and report to the general," she ordered.

As soon as the sea unicorn evaporated, she continued to fight. "Master Yubaba! On your left!" Caught off guard, she was too late. Feeling pain sear down her shoulder, she collapsed on one knee. With a sly smile, the warrior lifted its weapon up, prepared to slay the witch.

Just as she was about to cast another spell, a roar echoed through the valley. Two dragons flew towards the battle, one being blue and the other purple. "It's… It's Master Haku!" someone excitedly announced. Several cheers erupted, then murmured at the sight of the purple spirit.

Yubaba's eyes widened at the sight. "It couldn't be…" she gasped. Taking her eyes off of her attacker, she was vulnerable to his attack. The purple dragon teleported, landing beside the warrior. With a swift series of moves, the warrior lay unconscious. "Lord… Lord Daichi!" she greeted, bowing.

Remembering her wound, she winced. "Go and receive medical attention," the ancient spirit insisted. "I thank you for all of your help."

Astounded, she could only nod. "Off you go." Obeying, she quickly flew into the sky, dodging the flying spirits and heading back to the bathhouse. "Where is that Chihiro," she muttered to herself.

While the witch muttered about the girl's delay, she was already there. Landing on the bridge, murmurs echoed through the bathhouse. "Who are you, trespasser?" the spirits who guarded the front demanded.

Before she could reply, someone quickly pushed his way to Chihiro. "You've returned!" the red haired spirit exclaimed. Just as he was about to hug her, he stopped. Akira frowned, wondering what had happened.

In a serious tone, the dragon said, "I see. You've done it." Chihiro glanced at his expression. "I'm still myself, Ryuu," she insisted. His eyes suddenly lit up, remembering what he had to do. "Of course! I still love the way you are," he agreed.

With a sigh, Chihiro gave Akira a nudge forward. "Go to Lin. This is the safest place to be," she told him. "But what about you?" he demanded. "You can't go out there!"

Ryuu touched Akira's shoulder. "She will be fine," he assured. "She's a strong girl, even when she was a human." Glaring at the wind dragon, she immediately flew off. "Be safe, sis!" Akira called out, trying to hide his sorrow and anxiety.

With Ryuu flying by her side, she turned back. Her expression seemed to be the same as her sibling's. "I will," she replied. Disappearing into the clouds, Lin finally ran to Akira. "Hey, little guy," she panted. "What did I miss?"

Akira opened his mouth to reply, but a fierce, dark roar replaced his voice. Spirits cowered, shrinking back into the bathhouse. "I guess that's what you missed," he answered.


	23. Dark Fear versus Chihiro

The roar echoed through the valley, forcing each side to freeze. Come began to smile in victory, while other stared with fear. Daichi stood beside Haku, sensing the spirit's presence. "Dark Fear," he murmured to himself. Just as he spoke, a dark shadow figure appeared through the clouds.

Its red eyes gleamed watching the endless clashes of clans and villages. Few spirits began to notice the flying dragon, nervously backing away. "Do not fear!" Haku insisted.

"That's what the Dark Fear _wants_!" Fighting his way through, he managed to find a general within the crowd. "Master Haku, thank goodness you're here," the general panted.

"We're outnumbered. Are the spirits of the bathhouse arriving anytime?" he demanded. Frowning, Haku glanced back, trying to sense any army arriving. "Not that I know of," the spirit gritted his teeth. Cursing under his breath, he turned around to an approaching attacker.

With one swift drop of his katana, a few warriors fell. "I'm trying to find their leader," the general explained as they fought passed many spirits. "Follow me." Nodding, Haku summoned a cloud, allowing it to hail down to the enemy. Passing the battlefield, they made it to the small carriage where the leader stood.

Just before Haku could take another step, a large figure slammed into him. Falling back, he managed to land on his feet. Glancing up, a towering spirit glared at him, half of his face covered in darkness. One red eye looked at Haku.

"So you've done experiments on your own warriors, have you?" the general gritted his teeth. The leader stood with shining silver armor, looking down as if those below him were pests. "It is necessary to win the war," he spoke with a booming voice.

Unsheathing his sword, the general quickly charged at the leader. However, a group of spirits blocked his way, pushing him backwards. Even though he attempted to cut his way through, the spirits would not budge.

"Using the Dark Fear's powers, I managed to pass them on to my strongest," the leader explained. Haku, who was still struggling under a spirit's heavy foot thought _So his village was not as the rumors spoke of!_ "You and you're friends will perish here," the leader sneered. Finally unsheathing his sword, he raised it as a signal.

A battle cry roared behind them, footsteps shaking the earth. Bracing himself, Haku dug his fingers into the dirt. The spirits pushed the general into the trampling new warriors. "General!" Haku shouted.

With a chuckle, the leader stepped down from his carriage. "You must be Master Haku. What an honor to meet you. I've heard rumors saying you met Lord Daichi?" The foot on his back squeezed the breath out of him. Coughing, he summoned more hail to the army.

"Let's see that you die an honorable death," the leader suggested. Pointing his shining sword at the Dark Fear, he whistled a short tune. Turning towards his direction, the Dark Fear swiftly flew down. With a thump, the Dark Fear was a few feet away from Haku.

Even so, he could still feel the immense power radiating from it. "You can be one of the first to be eliminated by the dragon," the leader smiled. As the dark spirit approached, Haku tried to struggle beneath the spirit. The breath of the dragon blew into his face, reeking of smoke.

_Haku! Get yourself together!_ Using most of his strength, he lifted himself up from the heavy foot. Glancing down, the warrior noticed his powerful stomp had not weakened the dragon spirit. As it was about to raise its foot again, another roar erupted.

Noticing the leader's frown, Haku looked up at the Dark Fear. It had not moved nor roared. Instead, a flash of red flew towards it, smashing it down into the ground. Another figure flew by, snatching Haku away from the group of enemies.

Releasing Haku, he turned around to find Ryuu. "Took you a while to come," he narrowed his eyes. With a smirk, the wind dragon disappeared in the smoky field. Turning his attention back to the Dark Fear, something was standing over it. "Chihiro," he whispered.

Just before he could fly down, the Dark Fear's eyes suddenly opened. Sitting up, the giant claw raced towards its belly. Chihiro managed to fly up, feeling the force pushing the wind. Reaching Haku, she smiled. "Was I too late?" She wiped her sweating forehead.

"No," he replied, finding the general in the hands of Aogaeru and another warrior. "Who's this?" the leader yelled to them. "It seems like the Dark Fear is familiar with her. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Who's that?"

"The leader of the enemy," Haku answered. The dark dragon slowly got back on its feet, glaring at the girl hungrily. "Whoever she is," he continued. "This dragon wants her. Go, you may play now." _Play?_ Haku thought.

Chihiro immediately teleported forward. Unknowingly to Haku, the shadow dragon had also teleported, startled by the girl's move. With one air scratch, the wind reacted, created a scratch like form towards the dragon.

Shrieking, the Dark Fear jumped back. Determined that Chihiro could handle it on her own, he began to fly away before the spirit who had held him punched him down. Hitting the ground, the river spirit ducked before another punch dug itself a few feet into the ground.

Jumping over the spirit, he ran away. With the Dark Fear's power, he quickly caught up to him, pushing him to the leader's feet. Pinned down by the spirits, he could only watch as the sharp point raced towards his chest.

Realizing he must transform, scales covered his entire body, confusing the spirits. He finally transformed into the silver blue dragon, racing back down to the warriors. Defeating three with an easy blow of water, he flew towards the leader.

Snarling, his teeth were bared at the fearless spirit. With a sigh, the leader removed his cape. "You've become annoying, Master Haku. However, this needs to get out of the way for the war to be in my favor." Taking his large sword, he flung it at Haku.

Although he dodged it, a splash of red still appeared. _What?_ he winced. Like a boomerang, the sword retreated back in the leader's hand. "Do not underestimate me, Haku," he slyly grinned. Proceeding their battle, they clashed in the center of the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the Dark Fear and Chihiro struggled against each other's power, injuring each other occasionally. Annoyed, the Dark Fear opened its mouth. A dark orb formed, collected the dark energy as much as it could. Unleashing it against the girl, she swallowed slowly.

Lifting her hand towards the beam, she attempted to block it. Like a mirror reflecting light, the attack hit the valley, exploding it into bits. The spirits on her side cheered, continuing their battle with a more positive attitude.

Although, they never knew of her actual state. She was too exhausted from defending herself from such an immense blow. Deciding to try it for herself, dark shadow formed around her, tainting her clothes. _That's right_, she thought to herself. _I still have the power of the Dark Fear_. Cupping her hands, a shining light appeared. With the shadowy flames surrounding her, they were sucked into the orb.

_Like baseball_, Chihiro told herself as she flung it at the Dark Fear. No matter how the dragon could defend itself, the blast hit its right side. Howling in pain, it collapsed to its side, falling to the ground.

Feeling confident, she decided to relax. Forgetting she was still airborn, she fell towards the ground, where the rubble was sharply pointed. Luckily, Haku was on his way to catch her. "Chihiro!" he shouted, opening his arms up.

She opened her eyes to see the human-form of Haku racing towards her. "Haku…" she murmured, giving a weak smile. Something behind the spirit was shiny. Something silver. Something sharp. Realizing what it was, her eyes opened wide.

"Haku!" she screamed, motioning to his back. "Behind you!" Haku did not have time to react. Feeling a strong presence behind him, he decided to change the motion of his arms. Instead of catching the girl, he pushed her out of the way. Feeling a sudden sharp pain through his side, he froze.

Chihiro immediately looked up after falling on her side. Feeling her twisted ankle burn like fire, she only ignored it. "H-Haku?" she stammered. The river spirit covered his side, only red drops falling to his feet. The weak smile she had given him earlier was now on his face.

Weak, he finally dropped his hand. A shark blade had run through him. In shock, Chihiro used her arms to pull herself towards him. Behind the wounded spirit stood the leader, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Hatred boiled inside of the new spirit. Her once cursed arm burned, the tiger-like stripes closing. Turning her hand fully black, she stood up with no trouble. Strangely, she howled like a wild dragon. Alarmed, the leader backed away. As soon as he pulled the sword back, Haku fell to the ground.

_Haku… You… You hurt him…_ Chihiro covered her face, as if hiding her tears. Screaming, a circle of black flames formed around her. She began to transform, her hair growing long and her body changing into dark silver scales.

"Who… Who is this girl?" the leader back away, prepared to defend himself. "Dark Fear! Get up, now!" Beyond the destroyed valley stood Yubaba. Her wounds were carefully bandaged, one eye glancing at the battlefield. "Don't you feel something strange, Lin?" she asked with her croaking voice. "It's not the Dark Fear," Lin thought.

"No," Yubaba walked to her balcony to get a closer look. "It's more like… darkness. Darkness is coming." As she had said, the clouds grew dark as black, thunder rumbling through the valley. The earth shook more than before, alarming the warriors. The leader could only stare and watch as Chihiro transformed.

"What are you?" he repeated with a fearful voice. Teeth gleamed through the dark flickering shadows. "Nightmare," Daichi whispered, his eyes wide with shock. "She cannot take any other path. Nightmare has finally arrived."


	24. Nightmare Arrives

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She could not bear to look at the still Haku. Her claws dug into the ground, black fire burning the grass away. Inside, her human consciousness remained. Covering her face, she mourned at the thought of the river spirit. _Haku Haku Haku!_ she screamed. _Why did they have to do this to you?_

"She's in agony!" Daichi gritted his teeth. Prepared to transform, he headed towards Chihiro and the leader. "I have to stop her from doing any more harm!" Even after one step, the girl whipped her head towards his direction. _Don't come any closer!_

Flames broke out, separating him from the two spirits. A circle surrounded them, concerning the leader. "D-Dark Fear! Go!" he shouted. Roaring, the dark dragon slammed head first into Chihiro. As if nothing had happened, the girl let out a growl.

Just as the Dark Fear had done, she created a blast of destruction. This time, the Dark Fear whimpered, slowly decaying into dust. "What?" the ancient spirit gasped. _This has gone too far!_

The leader stared in awe, hoping the spirit would not see him. Meanwhile, inside Chihiro's mind, the girl lay still in the darkness. Her sobs echoed, causing her own mind to be engulfed in shadows. _Why did this have to happen? Why did the Dark Fear have to take Akira? Why did we have to _move_?!_

Once she said that, her body floated down to the ground. Green grass suddenly sprouted, with a white fence surrounding an empty area. To her confusion, a house immediately built itself: windows, a blue door, a small garden, and a sidewalk that led down the road.

Wind gently touched her skin, the sun warming her wet cheeks. "Where… Where is this place?" she wondered. The door to the white house opened, revealing her mother. "M-Mother?" she whispered.

"Chihiro! What are you doing out there! It's a party! Come back in," she smiled, motioning her to come. Dazed, her feet moved on their own, approaching the house. Pushing the fence door open, she pondered, _This is a dream, right?_

As her mother let her in, a few people cheered. "Where'd you go, Chihiro?" her uncle said with a booming voice. Her friends raced towards her, grabbing her and pulling her towards the yard. "Yui, Kaori," she blinked. "What-"

"Come on!" Kaori insisted. "There's a special someone who wants to give you something!" Bursting through the back door, a few other teenagers and adults were standing by, casually conversing. The one who stood farthest, towards the cliff was a boy. "Who's… Who's that?" Chihiro wondered.

"Huh?!" Yui exclaimed. "Don't you know who your own boyfriend is? Geez, did something happen when you were gone?" Kaori sighed. Walking towards him, she felt he looked familiar. Sea green eyes, green hair that grew down to his shoulders.

However, it was not him. He had much shorter hair. "Haku…?" Chihiro called out. Blinking, the boy touched her forehead. "Are you sick?" he asked. "You seem to act strangely today. Since when do you call me Haku?"

Turning around, her friends also looked at her worriedly. Trying to act calm, she smiled. "Sorry, today's not my day! What did I miss?" Yui and Kaori sighed. "You said you needed a moment before Kohaku was going to give you a gift!" Yui whispered.

_A gift?_ Kohaku rummaged through his pocket, finding a small box. Her friends were tense, eagerly waiting for what he had. Taking Chihiro's hand, he slipped a ring onto her forefinger. With a gasp, Yui silently cheered, while Koari jumped excitedly.

Examining it closely, the ring was a simple ocean blue gem. "Pretty," Chihiro murmured to herself. "T-Thank you, Kohaku." He smiled happily, wrapping his arms around her. She relaxed, enjoying the horizon and enjoying party.

"Yubaba!" Daichi shouted to the appearance of the witch. Clutching her sleeve was Akira, who nervously glanced at the bodies. "Why have you come?" the ancient spirit frowned. "He felt something was wrong," the witch explained while staring at the dragon. "That's why I came."

Akira found the frantic dark dragon, along with the cowering leader. "Who… Who is that?" the boy asked. Not knowing how to explain it to the brother of the spirit, Yubaba looked away. "Is my sister here?" Yubaba tried to change the subject. Daichi shook his head. "She's caring for the wounded at the bathhouse."

"Don't ignore me!" Akira snapped. "What is that? Where is my sister?" Daichi met his terrified gaze. "You're looking at her," he said with a monotone voice. His eyes wide, he continued to stare at the wild shadow dragon. "Sis," he whispered. Searching for Haku, he found him within the flames.

Without hesitation, he ran through the black flames. "Akira!" Yubaba yelled. "No!" Ignoring their desperate calls, he finally made it to the unconscious spirit. Shaking his shoulder, he tried not to stare at the red stain growing on his clothes. "Haku!" he sobbed, tears forming in his eyes. "You gotta' wake up! You've gotta' help sis! Come on, wake up! You promised! Sis! Sis!"

Hearing his shouts of frustration, the dragon flew up. A giant orb of darkness suddenly formed, even larger than the Dark Fear's. "Akira! Get down!" Daichi shouted, raising a hand to the boy for a force field. The boy continued to scream for his sister, watching as the orb finally exploded to the ground.

Everything lit up. The ground cracked, chunks of rocks flying everywhere. Warriors tried to run away, but flew away from the massive blast. From the bathhouse view, Lin and the others watched as the valley lit up. Wind fiercely blew at the spirit's, terrifying them at what the result was. "What's going on there, Haku?" she growled.

"I told you not to break her heart!" she snapped, a twig scratching her cheek. Akira's cries echoed into the dragon's mind, reaching to her imaginary home. Still in Kohaku's arms, she twitched at the sound of Akira's voice. "Akira?" she called out. "Akira?" Kohaku narrowed his eyes. "Who's that?"

Smelling the scent of her boyfriend, it was not the familiar smell of the sea. Instead, it was cologne bought at a cheap store. "Who are you people?" she demanded, pushing the boy away. "What are you talking about?" Kaori snapped.

The adults began to approach, wondering what they were arguing about. "This is just a dream," Chihiro told herself. "You are all just what I wanted. I wanted to have someone to love, a life where nothing I had experienced ever happened!"

Just as she said that, her ring began to crack. "I never wanted this," she continued. "Sure, there's a war going on. But I'm sitting here, waiting for myself to snap!" Kohaku touched her shoulder. "What are you saying, Chihiro? I'm your boyfriend, _Kohaku_-"

"Don't touch me!" the girl snapped. "You don't exist!" Startled by her words, he backed away. "Ch-Chihiro…" Glancing at his hand, he noticed he was disappearing, just like everyone else. Shards fell from her blue ring as she spoke.

"I don't want a life like this," she gritted her teeth. "I want to see my friends! I want to see my brother! I want to see Haku! _I love him_!" The ring finally shattered into pieces. Like glass, the image of her dream shattered, returning her to the darkness. Spotting a small sparkle of light above, she reached out for it.

_I need to see everyone! They need my help!_ A hand suddenly appeared from the light, offering Chihiro a hand. Determined, she grabbed it, finding herself pulled into a flashing light. Opening her eyes, she felt dizzy and exhausted. Falling to the ground, she felt the rubble in her hands. "I'm back," she said, shaking. Glancing around, she tried to see where she was.

Chunks of rocks and dirt fell everywhere, the sky darkened with thunder and lightning. The valley where she came from was now flat plains. Large trees were now on the ground, with only stumps remaining. A few spirits struggled to free themselves from the heavy rubble.

_Did I… do this?_ Standing up weakly, she limped around. "Akira? Yubaba? Daichi?" she hopelessly called out. "Haku?" Noticing a hand twitching from under a rock, she used her strength to push it off. "Sis…" the wounded boy croaked. "You're… You're back… That's good… Good…"

Realizing it was Akira, she pulled his legs from the dirt. "Akira!" she cried out desperately, cupping his face. "Don't give up! Akira, don't worry everything's going to be alright. Is there anyone else…?!"

His shaky finger pointed next to her. _Another body!_ Digging through the small rocks, she found Haku. "Haku!" she wailed, pulling him out. Dragging him next to Akira, she noticed his wound still severe. "It's my fault," she thought. "My fault…"

A few feet behind her, rocks moved with a thump. Yubaba and Daichi found the three at the center of the battlefield. "Chihiro!" Daichi grunted. "You're back." As soon as they reached them, a hand suddenly appeared from a hill of dirt.

The leader appeared, part of his armor destroyed from the blast. Panting, he picked up his sword, struggling to hold it with his weak hands. "You… What are you?!" he screeched.

Standing back up, Chihiro finally found her katana. "Take care of them," she said. "No, Chihiro!" Yubaba narrowed her eyes. Daichi held her back. "Leave her," he told the witch. "She must do this." Between the two spirits, nothing was left to lose.

With a battle cry, the leader charged at her. Their swords clashed, the silver blades, creating red sparks. "I shall not lose to a girl like you!" he spat. Chihiro grunted, feeling herself being pushed back. Taking a stronger stance, she pushed forward.

Dark shadows appeared from her katana, growing stronger and stronger. Noticing his mighty sword disappearing from the flames, he released the sword from the painfully flames. "How can I be defeated?" he growled, desperately finding a way to escape.

Quickly running from her, he tripped over the rubble and fallen spirits. He turned around, trying to see if she was running after him. Without paying attention, he slammed into something. Looking up, a gate had suddenly appeared.

Turning around to Daichi, he knew he had summoned it. "Be gone!" he ordered. The gates creaked open, revealing a dark portal. Sucked in, the leader screamed as the doors started to close. "I… I will return!" he maniacally screamed.

Chihiro turned back, limping back to Haku and Akira. "Akira's fine," Daichi assured. "Just a twisted arm. But Haku…" The girl stared at the unconscious river spirit. "His wound has taken its toll." _Haku?_ Chihiro touched his cold skin. "I'm a newborn, right Daichi?" she questioned.

"Yes, but-" The ancient spirit's eyes widened. "What are you going to-" Chihiro bent down beside Haku. "I'll give him my life."


	25. Her Farewell

**I'm excited as you guys are! Yay, two chapters published and two more to go! Please feel free to suggest anything! I'm willing to write more stories! **

"I'll give him my life," Chihiro stated. Daichi disagreed. "I'm not going to let you do this! Yes, you are a newborn, but you won't be able to survive! Haku's wound is too much for you to heal!" Ignoring his protests, she touched Akira's cheek.

"Sis…" he muttered. "Everything's going to be okay, right?" The girl could barely keep a straight face. "Yeah," she answered, hiding her face from her brother. "Love you, Akira." Moving to the river spirit, she placed her hands above his heart.

Concentrating, a glowing light appeared from her palms. Absorbed into Haku, the witch and spirit watched in disbelief. _Haku_, she thought. _Hopefully, you can hear me. If I… If I don't survive, I'm still glad that you will. I love you, Haku. Make sure Akira gets home safe._

Yubaba gasped as soon as she heard Haku cough. "He's regained his consciousness!" Daichi exclaimed. "You did it- Chihiro? Chihiro!" The girl's vision blurred.

Falling to her side, she could only hear muffled voices and footsteps approaching. _Make sure Akira gets home safe._


	26. Is it Grief?

He awoke to the sound of a machine beeping at his side. Opening his eyes, he felt the comfortable bed underneath him, along with the warm blanket that covered his body. Turning his head, he tried to see where he was. White walls were decorated with children's drawings, with the floor shining brown. Moving back to his original position, he stared up at the wall.

Trying to remember what had happened before he blacked out, he started off with the leader. As if feeling the sword stabbing through him again, he touched his side. _I fell and closed my eyes from the pain_, he continued. _But I could hear Chihiro screaming. Then… Then…_

A flash of flickering flames appeared in his mind. _Everything around me was warm_, he thought. _Something hit me, and buried me until I couldn't breathe properly. A couple minutes later and the heavy stuff were pulled away. Something grabbed my arm…_ He was dragged from the rubble, lightly dropped on something smooth. Leaning against it, someone was calling out to someone. _Then I blacked out_. "And now I'm here," he spoke aloud.

"Where is… everyone?" Remembering Chihiro's cry, he bolted up from his bed. Cringing from the pain from his side, he gently laid himself back down. _Chihiro, where is she?_ he thought. Glancing out of the window, the sun shined brightly. A few children played in the courtyard, kicking the ball to each other and drawing with chalk. Taking the wires off of his arms, he slipped into his shoes. Leaning against the wall for support, he found the door and opened it.

The sound of his shoes echoed through the hallway. Panting from exhaustion, he tried to see if any door was open. Just as he was about to try another door, he heard a distant laugh. Following the numerous voices, he found a door that slightly opened. Prepared for the worst, he pushed the door open.

The breeze knocked into him, warming his cold cheeks. He realized spirits from the war had arrived to recover. _This is a hospital_, he realized. One spirit hopped off of the stool, leaping towards the spirit. "Master Haku, you're alright!" the frog chirped. "Aogaeru," Haku greeted. "Of course he's alright, he's _Haku_!" one exclaimed. "Please, help yourself."

Drawing out a chair for him, Haku gladly accepted. Slowly sitting down, he let out a deep sigh. Looking around, many spirits were cheerful: laughing, dancing, playing games by the courtyard and much more. "Aniyaku, where is Yubaba?" Haku asked. Turning back to the spirit from their conversation, Aniyaku stared at him. "She's around, I suppose," he shrugged. "Ever since the war ended, she came all so quiet and serious. The only thing she said to me was 'Do not go near the valley'."

Haku frowned. "What's at the valley?" The spirit narrowed his eyes. "You mean you don't remember? You were even there! Some dark spirit arrived and destroyed everything. Some say-" Aniyaku looked around, leaning towards the spirit. "Some say the dark spirit was _Chihiro_." His words echoed through his racing mind. Just as Aniyaku had spoken, the door creaked open.

As spirits began to turn around to greet the arriving spirit, they froze. The cheering and laughing died away. Blinking, the river spirit turned around to see who it was. The witch wore a bright red dress, with the usual sparkling jewels around her neck. Her grey hair was pinned down to the back, unlike the big bun on top. "L-Lady Zeniba," Aogaeru bowed. Many of the spirits quietly followed. "I hope that all of you are well?" the witch asked with a warm smile.

Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the crowd. "Please, don't let me interrupt your celebration. If you would excuse Master Haku for a moment," Zeniba gestured to the spirit. "Of course, ma'am," a spirit bowed respectfully. Haku limped off of the chair, leaving the quiet group. Once the witch closed the door behind them, the spirits in the room turned back to their old selves.

"Are you going to explain what's going on here?" Haku frowned, limping beside Zeniba. Without a word, they arrived at another room. Opening it, Yubaba sat in a chair, looking outside. Hearing the door close, the witch looked up. "Ah, you're here," the bathhouse owner spoke. Still confused as to what was happening, the spirit immediately demanded, "Where is this place? Where is Akira? And _Chihiro_?"

"Calm down, Haku," Yubaba snapped. "We too have questions that need to be answered! So sit down and be patient!" Silent, the boy sat in the chair across the table. "It's been a while since I've heard your old voice," he gave a light chuckle.

Turning back to the garden, she muttered, "Quiet, you little fish." After a few moments, a shadow appeared beside the balcony. Flying with the gentle wind, Daichi appeared into the room. "It took you a while to get here," Yubaba snorted.

"Welcome, Lord Daichi," Zeniba bowed, sitting beside her twin sister. Giving her a nod, he sat on the railing. "How are you feeling, Haku?" the lively spirit asked. The river spirit did not reply.

Blinking, the ancient spirit glanced at the twins. "Did you say something?" he asked, giving a teasing grumpy face. As Yubaba was about to snap back at him, Zeniba interjected. "Oh, nothing. He's just a bit rough from…"

Thinking she was talking about Chihiro, he sat up. "Tell me what happened to her," he calmly said. "What happened while I was out?" Daichi stared at Haku for a moment. His bright, energetic expression stiffened into a serious and cold face. "As soon as Yubaba and I came out of the rubble, we found you three," Daichi explained.

"Chihiro carried you and Akira out of the ground," Yubaba added. "So it's true," Haku thought. "Chihiro was the one who caused the explosion. So the valley is destroyed, correct?" Zeniba nodded. "There's nothing left there," she sighed.

"Continue," Haku eagerly said, tightly gripping the chair. "Since you were dying from that wound you received from the enemy, Chihiro offered to give her life to you," Daichi continued. The spirit tried not to panic. Trying to calm himself down, he kept himself from standing up and yelling in frustration.

"She attempted to give some of her life, but instead gave nearly all of it to heal you," the ancient spirit went on. "We managed to stop her from giving all of her energy, but…" His voice faltered. The only sounds that were there was the water dropping from the fountain and birds chirping.

_Where…_ "Where is she now…" Haku gritted his teeth. The carefully woven chair began to crunch in his grasp. "Where is she?" Daichi looked away, staring at the same area where Yubaba was looking. Zeniba stood up, leaving the room.

"_Where is Chihiro_!" His commanding voice rang in the air. Some of the children's giggles and shouts stopped, wondering what the shout was. "I leave this to you, Lord Daichi," Yubaba said, following after her sister. The two men stood in silence.

Before the river spirit could repeat, Daichi pointed outside. "Look outside," he told Haku. Walking towards the balcony, Haku found one of the playing children to be Akira. He looked around, trying to find the ball that one of his spirit friends had taken. "Chihiro," Daichi began. "She…"

Finally turning towards the fountain, Akira found Haku limping across the garden fields. Racing towards him, he blinked in curiosity. "Isn't it too early for you to stand up?" he asked. When the spirit did not reply, he tried to ask again.

The river spirit could only shake his head, hiding his face from the human boy. Finding tiny drops of tears were falling from Haku's face, he realized who he was thinking about. "Don't cry, Haku," Akira sniffed, wiping the forming tears from his eyes.

"It's just like you said… back at the cave… We shouldn't cry under any circumstances. R-Right?" Breaking into silent sobs, the boys stood in the middle of the garden. From afar, two shadowy figures stood at the balcony. The two quietly watched them share their sadness.

The taller one glanced at the one that leaned against the railing. Without a word, the two left. As they left, the shorter one formed a warm smile.


	27. Two Worlds, One Love

**Final chapter! Thank you all for reading this and please stay tuned for the sequel! Happy Mother's Day!**

Flipping through the pages of his notebook, he glanced at his drawings. He ignored his teacher's lecture, paying attention to his unusual sketches. There was a frog standing on its legs, an old lady with a puffy dress and tons of jewelry, and finally two teenagers.

They were staring back at him, holding each other's hands. One of them was in an old fashioned kimono, standing on a bridge with a peaceful background field. On the left, the girl wore normal clothes, standing on a modern bridge with a town behind her. _Two worlds, one love_, he thought.

The bell rang, allowing the students to leave. Packing his belongings, he was one of the last to leave the classroom. As soon as he left the room, he nearly bumped into the girl he liked. The curly haired girl blinked. Blushing, she smiled. "Hey Akira," she greeted.

"H-Hey Miyu," he replied. Her friends giggled, following the girl past him. His friends appeared, noticing his moment with the popular girl. "You've got a chance there," one of them snickered. Frowning at him, Akira gave a sigh. "Never mind about that," the other insisted. Let's go to the sweets shop!"

Leaving the school grounds, they headed out. As the four boys engaged in a conversation, they turned to the corner. However, Akira walked straight towards his house. "I thought we were going to buy sweets!" one of the boys complained. Giving them a wave, he replied, "Sorry! I've got to go meet someone. Maybe next time!"

He crossed the street, racing towards the direction of the forest. Finally reaching his home, he stood at the gate panting. Walking past the pile of gardening supplies, he said, "Hey mom." A head popped out of the bushes, finding Akira enter through the open door.

"How was school today?" Mrs. Ogino called out, digging a hole for another flower. Hearing rustles and a bag landing on the floor with a thump, she soon heard, "It was great." Akira ran out, replacing his black uniform with casual clothes.

"Heading out again?" she guessed. With a nod, he closed the gate behind him. "Make sure you come home before dark!" she called out. _He's just like Chihiro_, she thought to herself. Glancing up at the cloudless sky, she thought of her daughter. _Do your best in college, Chihiro! Be sure to visit during break_.

Meanwhile, the boy raced through the forest, eager to return to the world where he had met the creatures from his notebook from a year ago. Recognizing some of the spirit statues, he realized he was getting closer.

Finding the entrance to the large red building, he took a deep breath. Stepping in, the tunnel soon felt cold and dark. With only the sound of his footsteps echoing in the dark tunnel, he took his time catching his breath. Catching the ray of sunshine at the end, he felt the warmth brush the cold away from his cheeks.

Walking across the field and up the steps, he recognized the smell of spirit food. _"Never eat spirit food when you're a human!"_ his sister would always say whenever they passed the area during the night. Although he had a craving for spirit food, he had to resist.

Instead, he took a small pill to keep himself alive in the spirit world. Reaching the grand bridge to the bathhouse, he stopped at the hill. Hesitant if he should cross it, he looked around. _Coast is clear_, he thought, slowly taking a step forward.

Something swiftly and silently leaped from under the bridge, approaching Akira from behind. Quickly, he dodged the attacker's foot, running across the bridge. The spirit followed, prepared to unsheathe its katana. As it was about to, Akira noticed something fly above their heads. _Is that…_ he pondered.

Distracted, he tripped backwards, staring up at the hooded face. Taking the hood off, the spirit laughed. "50 to 4!" she cheered. Swinging the katana around her shoulder, she helped him up. "I wasn't sure whether you would come today," he sighed, rubbing his hip.

"You've got to be prepared when you come here, Akira," she snickered. Pouting, he asked, "How's Haku? Have you finally gotten busy with him?"

She gave a shrug. "He's fine, and we- A-Akira?! What are you saying?! O-Of course not!" Akira laughed at her innocence. "What happened to that sweet little boy?" she snapped, crossing her arms. The figure that had flown over them landed beside the girl. Transforming, a young man appeared, replacing the long blue dragon.

As usual, he wore a white and blue kimono with a blue hakama. Wondering why she had turned so red, he blinked curiously. "What did Akira say this time?" he asked, looking at the laughing Akira. "N-Nothing!" she snapped. "A-Anyways, let's go inside!"

Following her in, Akira watched as the couple muttered something.

_"It's just like you said… back at the cave… We shouldn't cry under any circumstances. R-Right?" Breaking into silent sobs, the boys stood in the middle of the garden. From afar, two shadowy figures stood at the balcony. The two quietly watched them share their sadness._

_The taller one glanced at the one that leaned against the railing. Without a word, the two left. As they left, the shorter one formed a warm smile. "Where are you going?" the taller one blinked. "Are you just going to leave them there?"_

_The other spirit narrowed its eyes at the ancient spirit. "Of course not Daichi," the spirit shook its head. Catching one more look at the two, the spirit sighed. "I'm going back to my room." Watching as the spirit left the balcony, Daichi continued to observe Haku and Akira. He remembered what he had told the river spirit earlier._

"_Chihiro," Daichi began. "She's alive. She's in one of these rooms, regaining her strength. There's no need for you to panic, Haku." Smiling at the past, he caught a few words from Haku. Looking down, he found Haku hugging the crying human._

"_Thank goodness," he murmured to himself._

Akira stared at the two spirits, smiling at their relationship. Many years ago, Chihiro happened to stumble into the Spirit World when moving to her new home. Luckily, she found Haku, who saved her from drowning when she was very young. After six years, the two reunited during the middle of a war.

Even though he was young, he could understand Chihiro and Haku's relationship. A human and spirit defied their destinies. Now, the spirits live happily in the Spirit World. Realizing Akira was still in the middle of the bridge.

"Akira, come on!" the girl insisted. Breaking from his trance, he caught up with them. "Sorry," he smiled. "Chihiro." _That's right. Two worlds, one love_.


End file.
